<history of philosophy, biography> Swiss mathematician and physicist (1707-1783); author of Introductio in analysin infinitorum (Introduction to infinite analyses) (1748) and many other mathematical treatises. Euler made significant contributions to the development of number theory, introduced the use of many now-familiar mathematical symbols, and devised (a century before Venn) a convenient set of topographical diagrams for representing the logical relationships expressed in categorical propositions and syllogisms. Euler's chief accomplishments are expressed in non-technical language in the Lettres à une princesse d'Allemnagne (Letters for a German Princess) (1772). Recommended Reading: Leonhard Euler, Foundations of Differential Calculus, tr. by John D. Blanton (Springer Verlag, 2000); Morris Kline, Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times (Oxford, 1990); and William Dunham, Euler: The Master of Us All (Math. Assn. of Amer., 1999).
[A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names]
< 2001-10-29>
Try this search on OneLook / Google