Leonhard Euler

Sunday, April 15, is the 300th birthday of Leonhard Euler (pronounced "oiler"), one of the top three mathematicians to have ever lived, the other two being Friedrich Gauss and Isaac Newton.

Euler gave the world a new foundation in calculus, algebra, number theory, graph theory, geometry, and applied math. He defined modern trigonometry and co-invented the calculus of varations. He is universally regarded as the most prolific mathematician in history and the best algorist ever. He was supreme at discrete mathematics, he created the function notation f(x) along with the e for the base of natural logarithm. Amicable numbers had been known for two thousand years before Euler, and in all that time only 3 pairs were discovered. Euler found 59 more. He Co-discovered the Euler-Maclaurin formula that facilitates calculation of integrals, sums, and series. Euler also developed the first method to estimate the orbit of the moon and he settled a dispute involving 50 decimal places of a long convergent series. He accomplished both these mathematical feats while he was totally blind.

With so many theorems and discoveries attached to his name, Euler will always be remembered for this particular equation:

It is called Euler’s identity and recognized as the most beautiful and most remarkable formula in mathematics.

Euler was a deeply religious man who believed in ‘the divine inspiration of scripture" and never shied away from confronting and arguing with the ‘Freethinkers." There’s a famous story that recounts a brief encounter between Euler and the French philosopher Denis Diderot in St Petersburg academy. The object of the meeting was for both learned men to argue the existence of God. The story goes on to say that Euler barged into the room and said: "Sir, , hence God exists - Reply!" 

Diderot not knowing math and embarrassed by the sarcastic laughter around him, apologized and asked to leave Russia. A request that was promptly honored by the Empress Catherine the Great, who was supposedly present during this brief monologue. This story has been repeated so often that it has gained credibility in the process. But in reality it is and it remains an uncorroborated tale. Diderot was a great philosopher but he was also an accomplished mathematician.  It is very unlikely that he would have stood there without an equally witty retort back to Euler.

Comments

[Sami]

where would you put Fermat and Euclid on that list?
I feel they both have done more to advance math than Euler.
nice article...