Geometry-ers,
One of the people we are learning about this week is Leonhard Euler – or at least his famous, Euler Line. I am wondering if we could use this spot to post more about Euler, the person. He is considered one of the best mathematicians in the 18th century (1700′s). Some people say he is the Beethoven of mathematics (or Beethoven is the Euler of music composition?) For example, a fellow mathematician, Pierre-Simon Laplace, wrote: “Read Euler, read Euler, he is the master of us all.”.
What makes him so famous? What is unique about him? What is a fun fact you learned in your research? Where was he born? Where did he live? What did he do in math? What did he do besides math? Did he have to overcome any challenges?
Or… Come up with your own questions!
Enjoy researching and learning about this pretty cool mathematician,
Mrs. Corricelli
Euler pioneered many fields of math, and even in our geometry class, we use things he invented like the Euler line and the function of x, or f(x) when we’re graphing. Euler was very well known in mathematics, like Beethoven was in music. What’s ironic is that Beethoven lost his ability to hear, but he still composed his famous music, and Euler lost his eyesight, but still worked on his mathematical calculations and theories.
Gabe-
LOVE this! Thanks for posting about this.
Keep working at the lab, too – if you have questions, post on the blog so you can help each other.
Mrs. Corricelli
What Gabe posted is very interesting. Both of those men were of Germanic descent, and they both lost features that were required for their professions, yet they were so brilliant they worked quite well without them. Euler was born in the Swiss canton of Basel-Stadt in 1783. He attended the University of Basel, where he developed many of his mathematical theories. The theories he developed are countless, and are also all named after him (Euler was a bit egotistical). Mathematics today wouldn’t be nearly the same without him.
Charlie,
LOVE this post – and agreed about math would not be the same… In your research, what were some of the things that he did/discovered that changed math today?
Mrs. Corricelli
Euler proved the inverse tangent function and some really complicated thing that I have trouble even pronouncing! Needless to say, the man knew his math. He had skills!
Euler was a mathematician who was best known for creating the Euler line concept. This was important as he made math understandable for many and his work helped solve work in many fields such as mechanics, optics and fluid dynamics. For example these discoveries made air flight possible. He lived in Russia for most of his life.
Euler was born on April 15, 1707. When he was thirteen he decided to go to the University of Basel. Then, in 1723 he received his Master of Philosophy. Euler went to Russia in May of 1727. In his job he was promoted from the medical department to a position in the mathematics department. He also took on an additional job as a medic in the Russian Navy. Euler’s eyesight worsened throughout his mathematical career. Three years after suffering a near-fatal fever in 1735 he became nearly blind in his right eye. Even having to live with the fact he was blind, Euler came to huge mathematical conclusions later in his life.
Euler was, as said by many, the greatest mathamatition. he descovered the euler line concept which is a line that is determand from a non equilateral and has 7 (important) points on a tringle. i thought it was interesting how long the equation was for the euler line if different for from centroid to orthosenter. Another fun fact i found, like most of the other people that posted, Euler’s eye sight worsend and its funny because when people connect him to beethoven, he lost his hearing! i thought that was pretty cool how it kind of connected like that.
A French mathematician, named Francois Arago, said about Euler, “Euler calculated without apparent effort, as men breathe, or as eagles sustain themselves in the wind.” Euler no doubt had a powerful influence. He contributed to wide range of mathematics and physics including analytic geometry, trigonometry, geometry, calculus and number theory.
The thing that I find most interesting about Euler is that he was blind. Even though he was blind he still became an incredible mathematician. This is so interseting, because it’s hard to do math without your sight,yet Euler was still able to do it. That’s incredible!
alright, ready for this awesome connection? Beethoven was DEAF! normally that wouldnt be that strange, but Euler was called the “beethoven of mathematics” maybe just because of his skill in his field, but its pretty amazing that both of them managed to continue doing what they loved and were good at even with their disabilities.
Wow! I’m glad to know now who Euler was and the specifics, thank you dearly Mrs. Corricelli
! ^_^ >.<
Euler was a very interesting person. He appeared on French Francs, an old Soviet Union stamp, and on German stamps with his formula V-E+F=2. Working on his math he started to lose vision in one eye. He kept working and developed cataracts in his good eye. He later died of a brain hemorrhage and was put to rest in Smolensk Lutheran Cemetery.
Matt and/or whomever,
What did this formula mean? Why 2? I think that this research might intrigue you (and others too)…
Mrs. Corricelli
Leonhard Euler was born in Switzerland, in the town of Basel, on the 15th of April 1707.In 1727, on the invitation of Catherine I, Euler took up his residence in St. Petersburg, and was made an associate of the Academy of Sciences. In 1730 he became professor of physics, and in 1733 he succeeded Daniel Bernoulli in the chair of mathematics. In 1741 Euler accepted the invitation of Frederick the Great to Berlin, where he was made a member of the Academy of Sciences and professor of mathematics.
I would want to know about what Euler’s childhood was like. Did he like math then? Did he do well in his math classes? Did he always want to be a Mathematician?
Eilish,
I do not know the answer to your questions off the top of my head; Euler is not a mathematician that I have researched – does anyone have any answers to Eilish’s questions? I would love to know!
Bernouilli, just FYI was another cool character – many of his family members were also great mathematicians… Cool connection!
Quality post,
Mrs. Corricelli