1st Edition

Leonhard Euler and the Bernoullis Mathematicians from Basel

By M. B. W. Tent Copyright 2009
    296 Pages
    by A K Peters/CRC Press

    "Leonhard Euler and the Bernoullis is a fascinating tale of the Bernoulli family and Euler's association with them. Successful merchants in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bernoullis were driven out of Antwerp during the persecution of the Huguenots and settled first in Frankfurt, and then in Basel, where one of the most remarkable mathematical dynasties evolved with Jacob, Johann, and Daniel Bernoulli the most prominent among them. Euler, fortunate to have had Johann Bernoulli as a tutor, quickly rose to prominence in the academies of Berlin and St. Petersburg, and became the most prolific and profound mathematician that ever lived.

    The story of these remarkable men, their great ambitions and dedication to their science-often against parental authority-is skillfully told by the author. Refreshing fictional dialogue is interspersed throughout into an otherwise accurate historical scenario. The book is intended for the young adult audience of middle school and early high school ages, but surely will also appeal to a general audience, with or without mathematical background."

    --Walter Gautschi, Purdue University

    The Bernoullis as Huguenots
    The Bernoulli Family in Frankfurt and Then Basel
    Jacob Makes His First Steps in the Study of Mathematics
    His Little Brother Johann "Helps" Jacob with Mathematics
    Having Completed His Studies in Philosophy and Theology, Jacob Moves On
    Jacob Travels to Geneva and Meets Elizabeth Waldkirch and Her Family
    Jacob Teaches Elizabeth Waldkirch to Read and Write Numbers and Words
    Sundials, and Tutoring in France
    Jacob Meets with Mathematicians in Paris
    Jacob Travels to Holland and England
    Jacob Settles into Life in Basel to Lecture and Learn
    Leibniz’s Calculus vs. Newton’s Fluxions
    Johann Bernoulli Grows Up
    Two Curves Studied by the Bernoullis: The Isochrone and the Catenary
    More Mathematical Challenges from the Bernoullis
    Jacob Bernoulli’s Mathematics
    Johann Bernoulli Returns to Basel with His Family
    Johann Bernoulli’s Son Daniel Grows Up
    Daniel Bernoulli, the Paris Prize, and the Longitude Problem
    Leonhard Euler
    Leonhard Euler’s Early Education
    Leonhard Euler Goes to the Latin School in Basel and Then on to the University
    Daniel and Nicolaus Bernoulli Receive a Call to the Academy at St. Petersburg
    The Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg
    Euler Begins His Career and Moves to St. Petersburg
    Daniel Bernoulli and Leonhard Euler: An Active Scientific Partnership
    The St. Petersburg Paradox
    Euler’s Early Work in St. Petersburg
    Daniel Returns to Basel, and Leonhard Euler Becomes Professor of Mathematics at St. Petersburg
    Daniel Bernoulli: A Famous Scholar
    Leonhard Euler: Admired Professor at St. Petersburg
    Euler Becomes Blind in His Right Eye
    St. Petersburg Loses Euler to Frederick the Great of Prussia
    The Eulers Arrive at the Court of Frederick the Great in Berlin
    Euler’s Scientific Work in Berlin
    Euler’s Work in Number Theory
    Magic Squares
    Catherine the Great Invites Euler to Return to St. Petersburg
    The Basel Clan

    Biography

    M. B. W. Tent

    …the story told is interesting, and the author is to be complimented for her efforts to make it as historically accurate as possible.
    —J. Johnson, CHOICE, June 2010

    Tent’s attention to detail, both mathematically and historically, is excellent.
    —Rob Bradley, London Mathematical Society, April 2010

    …an interesting and entertaining biography of Leonhard Euler (1707–1783) and of some of the Bernoullis, aimed at middle and high school students … the book emphasizes day-to-day life and the relations between the mathematicians, especially the forever-squabbling Bernoullis.
    MAA Reviews, November 2009