Biography:
Leonhard Euler (
/ˈɔɪlər/ OY-lər;
[2] German pronunciation:
[ˈɔʏlɐ] (
listen), local pronunciation:
[ˈɔɪlr̩] (
listen); 15 April 1707 – 18 September 1783) was a pioneering Swiss
mathematician and
physicist. He made important discoveries in fields as diverse as
infinitesimal calculus and
graph theory. He also introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and
notation, particularly for
mathematical analysis, such as the notion of a
mathematical function.
[3] He is also renowned for his work in
mechanics,
fluid dynamics,
optics,
astronomy, and
music theory.
[4]
Euler is considered to be the pre-eminent mathematician of the 18th century and one of the greatest mathematicians to have ever lived. He is also one of the most prolific mathematicians; his collected works fill 60–80
quarto volumes.
[5] He spent most of his adult life in
St. Petersburg,
Russia, and in
Berlin,
Prussia.