18th centuryReputable sourceWell documented
Euler and the Age of Analysis
On the timeline · around 18th century · The Modern Age
What happened
The Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler was the most prolific in history, producing work in nearly every field of mathematics even after going blind. He gave us much of the notation still in use — the symbols e, i, and the function notation f(x), and he popularized π — and his identity linking them is often called the most beautiful equation in mathematics.
Why it matters
Euler shaped the very language of modern mathematics. His enormous output in analysis, number theory, and mechanics turned the newborn calculus into a mature and universal science.