Leonhard Euler

Leonhard Euler, born in Basel in 1707, stands as one of history’s greatest mathematical geniuses. A polymath, he advanced calculus, mechanics, optics, astronomy, and number theory, while founding graph theory and topology. His elegant notations—function , for the imaginary unit, for circle ratio, and for summation—remain universal. Euler solved the Basel problem, defined Euler’s number , and unveiled Euler’s identity, often hailed as the most beautiful equation. Despite losing sight in one eye, he produced over 800 papers and books, shaping modern mathematics. He spent much of his career in St. Petersburg and Berlin, dying in 1783.

“Mathematics is the queen of sciences and arithmetic is the queen of mathematics.”

“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”