He was born in Martos (Jaén) on November 12, 1928. He completed his secondary education in his hometown, taking the national exam at the University of Granada. He graduated as an Agricultural Engineer after studying at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineering in Madrid, finishing his studies in 1958.

He earned his Doctorate in Agricultural Engineering from the same School in 1961.

He also pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, which he completed in 1961.

He obtained his Doctorate in Mathematical Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1963. His doctoral thesis was supervised by Prof. Ricardo San Juan Llosá.

In 1963, he was awarded a research fellowship by the Juan March Foundation for mathematical research.

In 1965, through a public competitive examination, he secured the position of Professor of Mathematical Analysis II and III at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Valencia.

In 1969, he also won, by public competition, the Chair of Mathematics (Algebra and Infinitesimal Calculus) Group I, for the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, a position from which he is currently on leave.

He was appointed Corresponding Academician of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Madrid in 1973.

In 1974, he was distinguished as an Honorary Member of the National Association of Agricultural Engineers (of the Institute of Civil Engineers of Spain).

In 1975, he was elected Full Academician of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Madrid, delivering his inaugural speech there in February 1977.

In 1977, he was awarded the Manuel Aguilar Grant for Research in Mathematics.

He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise for Merit in Teaching in 1981.

In 1983 and 1984, he was nominated for the National Scientific Research Award Ramón y Cajal by various universities.

In 1985, he was nominated by several universities for the Prince of Asturias International Award for Scientific and Technical Research.

In 1985, the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona appointed him Corresponding Academician.

In 1986 and 1987, he was again proposed for the Prince of Asturias Award.

In 1982, he published with North-Holland Publishing (Amsterdam-New York-Oxford), in the Mathematics Studies collection (Notas de Matemática 85), the book Topics in Locally Convex Spaces, which was commissioned by the publisher and is regarded by specialists as fundamental and essential for researchers in this field.

Some of his theorems are currently included in standard research books on mathematics, such as: Köthe, G.: Topological Vector Spaces II (Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 1978); Horvath, J.: Summer School on Topological Vector Spaces (Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 1978); Jarchow, H.: Locally Convex Spaces, Teubner, Stuttgart, 1981; Wilanski, A.: Modern Methods in Topological Vector Spaces (McGraw-Hill, London, 1978); Husain, H.: Barrelledness in Topological and Ordered Vector Spaces, Lecture Notes in Mathematics (Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 1978); Bourbaki: Espaces vectoriels topologiques, Chapters 1 to 5 (Masson Ed., Paris-New York, 1981).

He has given lectures on his research at numerous universities and mathematical research centers, including: the Institut Poincaré in Paris, the University of Lyon, Toulouse; in Istanbul, the Silivri Mathematics Institute, Bosphorus University; in Poland, the Stefan Banach Center, International Mathematical Center in Warsaw; in Germany, the Mathematisches Forschunginstitut Oberwolfach, the University of Freiburg, and the universities of Oldenburg, Saarbrücken, Tübingen, Munich, Frankfurt, Mainz, Paderborn, Cologne, Düsseldorf; in Belgium, the University of Liège, Institut de Mathématiques, and the research center in Esneux; the Universities of Pisa, Bari, Lecce, Potenza; the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Campinas (Brazil); the Catholic University of Santiago de Chile, the State University.

He has also lectured at the Complutense University of Madrid, the Autonomous University of Madrid, and the universities of Granada, Seville, Málaga, Badajoz, Salamanca, Valladolid, Santander, Bilbao, Barcelona, Alicante, Murcia, and Zaragoza. In some of these, he has taught postgraduate courses, such as in Valladolid, the National University of Distance Education, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and Castellón.

His opinion has been sought for the appointment of professorships at universities in Germany, Switzerland, and the United States. He has participated in doctoral examination committees for State Theses at various French universities.

In 1988, 1989, and 1990, he was nominated as a candidate for the Prince of Asturias International Research and Science Award by several universities and the Academy of Medicine of Valencia.

In 1990, the Valencian Press Association honored him with the Hoja de Laurel as an outstanding scientist for his contribution to research. That same year, the Department of Culture of the Valencian Regional Government presented him as a candidate for the National Scientific Research Award “Ramón y Cajal.”

In 1990, the Société Royale des Sciences de Liège (Belgium) named him Corresponding Member.

Organized by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the University of Valencia, the University of Maryland (USA), and the University of Paderborn (Germany), with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Department of Culture of the Valencian Regional Government, and the Faculty of Mathematics of the University of Valencia, the International Functional Analysis Meeting on the Occasion of the Sixtieth Birthday of Professor M. Valdivia was held at the Study Centre in the city of Peñíscola from October 21 to 27, 1990. The meeting was attended by 125 professors, among the most prestigious in the field of Functional Analysis, 30 of whom were invited speakers. The presented lectures were published in a volume, Progress in Functional Analysis, by North-Holland Publishing within the Mathematics Studies series 170, edited by Leopoldo Nachbin (North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam-New York-Oxford-Tokyo).

This conference was regarded by specialists as one of the most important for the quality of its participants and the topics presented.

He is a member of the Valencian Institute for Studies and Research.

He has contributed to a recently published volume by Espasa Publishing, within the Ciencia series, addressing the topic of Mathematics.

He works jointly with professors from various universities, meeting regularly on research topics sponsored by organizations such as the General Directorate for Scientific and Technical Research, International Scientific Cooperation Agreements between European Universities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and the Tempus and Erasmus programs (EEC), in collaboration with researchers from universities such as Liège (Belgium), Athens (Greece), Paris, Paderborn (Germany), Murcia, among others.

In 1992, he was again nominated for the Prince of Asturias International Research and Science Award.

He currently devotes himself to research and teaching in the Department of Mathematical Analysis at the University of Valencia, actively participating in research meetings both nationally and internationally, as well as in the training of young researchers.

The Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia were established while he was already a Professor of Mathematics, and in both he has taught and continues to teach, resulting in a considerable number of students. Among these, 30 have become doctors, 14 have become full university professors, and 15 hold positions as tenured university lecturers.

His participation in congresses and conferences is frequent, where he is often invited to deliver opening or closing lectures.