Today is 306 years after the birth of Leonhard Euler
Today if you visit several of Google’s International homepages you will be greeted with what looks like a very scientific Google Doodle some people may mistakenly guess that the Google Doodle have something to do with Einstein, at least this was my first thoughts when I glanced at the doodle.
Today 15 April 2013 Google Doodle is however about the Scientist Leonhard Euler. He was born on the 15th of April 1707 in Basel Switzerland and died on the 18th of September 1783 in Saint Petersburg Russia.
Who was Leonhard Euler?
He was a Swiss German Mathematician and physicist, and his greatest legacy was his involvement in modern day mathematics notation and terminology. He also made important discoveries in fields as diverse as infinitesimal calculus and graph theory. In mathematics circles many think of Leonhard Euler as the most preeminent mathematician of the 18th century, and one of the greatest mathematicians to have ever lived.
Honoring Leonhard Euler
Today is not the first time that Leonhard Euler have received recondition for his work in the form of fine-arts. The former Soviet Union have celebrated the life and legacy of Leonhard Euler on a 1957 Stamp. On the stamp there is a fine art drawing representing Leonhard Euler, and the words on the stamp said “250 years from the birth of the great mathematician, academician Leonhard Euler.”
In Germany they have also honored Leonhard Euler on a stamp commemorating on the 200th anniversary of his death. Across the center of the stamp it shows his polyhedral formula, nowadays written as v − e + f = 2. This formula is part of the Google Doodle today celebrating the 306th year since the birth of Leonhard Euler.
Also in today’s Google Doodle one can see the Mathematical Constant e graphic, which formed part of Leonhard Euler mathematic theories and calculations.
Euler was also featured on the Switzerland sixth Series of the 10-franc note. On the note the Swizz printed a fine-art image of Leonhard Euler and the note also had his name on it and the date of his birth and death.
In 2002 Leonhard Euler was further honored by having the asteroid Euler named after him.
Leonhard Euler Mathematics
Leonhard Euler worked in almost all areas of mathematics: geometry, infinitesimal calculus, trigonometry, algebra, and number theory, as well as continuum physics, lunar theory and other areas of physics. He is a seminal figure in the history of mathematics; if printed, his works, many of which are of fundamental interest, would occupy between 60 and 80 quarto volumes. Leonhard Euler’s name is associated with a large number of topics.
Leonhard Euler is the only mathematician to have two numbers named after him: the immensely important Euler’s Number in calculus, e, approximately equal to 2.71828, and the Leonhard Euler-Mascheroni Constant γ (gamma) sometimes referred to as just “Euler’s constant”, approximately equal to 0.57721. if it is not known whether γ is rational or irrational.
Leonhard Euler Google Doodle
Although it is not the first time that Leonhard Euler have been honored with being portrayed in a stamp, money note, named after an asteroid or other means of being honored for his work and mathematician legacies he also now received the honor of being portrait in a Google Doodle. Today millions of people will learn for the first time of Leonhard Euler and his contributions to both mathematics and the world we live in.
Many of Leonhard Euler’s theories and mathematical formulas have been used in everyday life where engineers build bridges and buildings using mathematics and scientists calculating formulas based on his work!
Although many people will not truly understand his extraordinary contributions to humanity it is great to see the Google have picked Leonhard Euler to be featured on their search engine today!
