Euler

August 9, 2007

Leonard Euler

When Leonhard was thirteen he was enrolled in the University of Basel, and only three years later in 1723 earned himself a masters of Philosophy degree. During this time Leonard was being schooled on Saturdays by John Bernoulli who quickly realized his natural talent for mathematics. At this point Leonard was studying Greek and Hebrew under his fathers instruction. Bernoulli convinced Leonards father that his son was destined to become a great mathematician.

When offered a job by one of Bernoullis sons, he eagerly accepted and began work next to Daniel Bernoulli in the mathematics/physics division at the Imperial Russian Academy of Sciences. Leonard made St. Petersburg his home where he worked for the IRAS and soon became fluent in russian and took on a second job as a medic in the Russian Navy. Leonard Quickly succeeded at the academy and in 1731 became the professors of physics. Daniel ended up leaving the academy for various reasons and Leonard succeeded him as the head of mathematics Department.

Concerened about ongoing turmoil in Russia, Leonard was considered leaving and when offered a job at the Berlin academy he immediately took it. He lived in Berlin for twenty-five years where he wrote over 380 articles and published the two works which he would be most renowned for: the Introductio in analysin infinitorum, a text on functions published in 1748 and the Institutiones calculi differentialis, a work on differential calculus.

While at Berlin academy Leonard took on the task of being a tutor to the Princess of Anhalt-Dessau, the daughter of the head of the university. He wrote over 200 letters to her, which were later compiled into a best-selling volume, titled the Letters of Euler on different Subjects in Natural Philosophy Addressed to a German