Leonhard Euler (1707 - 1783) was arguably the most prolific mathematician of all time. Boasting a plentiful career based in both Russia and Germany, Euler developed numerous mathematical ideas and techniques that are indispensable to the modern physicist. These range from the most basic of notions, such as the function, to the more exotic, such as his famous formula relating the exponentiation of complex numbers to the trigonometric functions. Apart from his extensive work in mathematics, Euler was also known for tackling real-world problems with an analytic approach. Using this mindset he made important contributions to mechanics, optics, music theory, and other areas of physics. Furthermore, Euler was responsible for popularizing many of …show more content…
However, Euler's seemingly perfect academic environment was not without troubles. The political turmoil caused by the death of Catherine I led to a growing suspicion of foreigners in Russia. This created a “rather awkward” situation, in Euler's own words, for the culturally diverse Academy. [2.xxiii] In addition to his interpersonal issues, Euler also had to deal with the very rapid decline of his eyesight: by 1738 he had lost vision in his right eye. Though he maintained that his symptoms were the result of eye stain from his work, it is more likely that Euler's blindness was due to infection. [2.xxiii] Surprisingly - or maybe not - Euler's mathematical output was barely affected at all by his inability to see. He continued his research, corresponding with various other mathematicians including Goldbach and Naudé and as a result making discoveries in fields including number theory and partition theory. In this period he also made a splash in the physics world with his publication of Mechanica, a text which presented Newton’s laws using calculus.