Euler used mathematics to solve problems of religion.
Reproduction of Marcelo Viana's column in Folha de S. Paulo.
In 1776, the Swiss Leonhard Euler accepted the invitation of Tsarina (Empress) Catherine II to return to Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire, and assume the chair of mathematics at the Russian Academy of Sciences. The offer was irresistible: a handsome salary, a pension for his wife, and the promise of important positions for his children.
At 69 years of age, despite being practically blind, Euler retained all his extraordinary intellectual power and was recognized as one of the greatest scientists in the world. His work occupies more than 60 volumes, making him the most prolific mathematician in history.
Read also: Study argues for investment in prisons and education.
Jacob Palis is an Officer of the Legion of Honor of France.
Mathematics predicts accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists.
Catherine the Great, as she became known, one of the most remarkable monarchs in history, transformed the Russian imperial court into a brilliant cultural and intellectual center, protecting and attracting the greatest scientists, thinkers, and artists of her time.
Among them was the French philosopher and writer Denis Diderot (1713–1784), who became famous for conceiving and leading the great project of the "Encyclopedia," an ambitious initiative to gather and disseminate all the knowledge of the time, making it accessible to everyone. The publication of the Encyclopedia in France, between 1751 and 1772, was one of the great achievements of the Enlightenment.
Having learned that Diderot was experiencing financial difficulties, Catherine bought his library and hired him as its curator for the rest of his life, with a generous salary. She even paid him 25 years in advance!
Although he detested traveling, the writer felt obliged to undertake the long and dangerous journey from Paris to St. Petersburg to pay homage to his benefactress. He spent five months in the Russian capital, in 1773–1774, during which he had daily meetings with the Tsarina for discussions “man to man,” according to him. He frequently punctuated his arguments by slapping the queen's legs! In a letter to a French friend, Catherine wrote: “This Diderot is an extraordinary man. I leave our conversations with sore and bruised thighs. I was obliged to place a table between us to protect myself and my limbs.”
This peculiarity did not diminish the admiration of the ruler in any way, who continued to protect the writer until his death in 1784, in Paris, at the age of 70.
To read the full text, visit the newspaper's website.
Folha allows each reader access to ten articles per month even without a subscription.
Read also: OBMEP helps change the lives of young students