Leonhard Euler, A Prodigious Mind

Perhaps collective memory has not paid proper homage to the memory of Leonhard Euler or Euler, one of the most prodigious minds of all time. We are talking about the most important mathematician of the entire eighteenth century, and perhaps history in general.

Leonhard Euler was a genius of mathematics, but he also contributed extensively in the fields of physics, astronomy, philosophy and even classical literature and languages. It is estimated that a collection of all his works would lead to as many as 80 volumes. Today we will find out more about Leonhard Euler’s incredible life.

Although universally known above all for the well-known number of Euler, in reality his contribution is invaluable. His discoveries and research are so many that it became difficult to keep track of them and associate them with his name. It wouldn’t be strange if an asteroid or a lunar crater bore his name.

Leonhard Euler, a precocious genius

Leonhard Euler was born in Basel (Switzerland) on April 15, 1707. His family was deeply religious and this marked him throughout his life. He had two younger sisters, Anna Maria and Maria Maddalena.

His parents sent him to live with his grandmother to facilitate his education. From an early age he became passionate about mathematics, learning it on his own. At the age of 13 he was admitted to the University of Basel. At the age of 16 he received the title of master of philosophy.

At that time he had already come into contact with Johann Bernoulli, a friend of the family and the most famous mathematician in all of Europe. It was he who persuaded Euler’s father to make him abandon his theology studies, begun by his father’s will, allowing him to finally devote himself to mathematics.

Euler the mathematician

At the age of 19 he received the title of Doctor of Mathematics and published his first scientific article (1726). He also knew Greek and Hebrew. In 1727 he participated in a competition organized by the French Academy of Sciences, which that year tested the best way to arrange masts on a ship. Euler took second place. In the following years, he won the award 12 times.

His great dream was to become rector of the University of Basel. To get this role he wrote an article on acoustics, which soon became a classic in physics. However, probably due to his young age, he did not receive the assignment.

Bernoulli, his mentor and benefactor, collaborated to get him a professorship in St. Petersburg (Russia). He occupied it in 1727 and after two years he was elected a member of the city’s academy of sciences. He also served as a medical lieutenant for the Russian navy at the time.

The consecration of genius

In 1733 Leonhard Euler consolidated his position as a titular in St. Petersburg and the following year he married Katharina Gsell. With her he had 13 children, only 5 of whom survived. Euler said that several of his greatest discoveries had occurred with a baby in his arms or seeing his children play.

In 1735 he contracted a strange fever that made him blind in one eye and brought him close to death. He managed to survive and carried on his work thanks to incredible efforts. In 1740 he had already acquired international fame and received an invitation from Frederick the Great to join the Berlin Academy.

There he became the master of the king’s niece and wrote the famous opera Letters to a German Princess.  At the time it was the most widely read work of all in Europe and North America. He lived in Berlin for 25 years, until his relationship with the king began to crack. The latter called him “the Cyclops” considering him too vulgar for his court.

Leonhard Euler’s death and legacy

In 1766 Leonhard Euler chose to return to St. Petersburg. Shortly thereafter, he lost his sight altogether. This genius is famous for his frightening memory, it is said that he could play the entire Aeneid . This extraordinary memory of his allowed him to continue his titanic searches despite his blindness.

His sons helped him as much as possible, and half of his writings were processed right during his blindness. His wife died in 1773 after 40 years of marriage. Euler remarried after three years.

At 5 pm on September 18, 1783, Euler was seized by a sudden malaise. “I’m dying,” he said before losing consciousness. He died at 11pm the same day of a brain hemorrhage. His figure appears on Swiss banknotes and stamps. Seven roads in the world bear his name.