Christians in mathematics: Leonhard Euler

Leonhard Euler may have been the most famous mathematician of all times. He was certainly one of the most prolific writers. For nearly fifty years after his death the St. Petersburg Academy (where he had been the head of the mathematics department) continued to publish his unreleased works.

As a child Euler had shown an unusual amount of talent in the field of mathematics, a fact that was all the more remarkable since he had mostly studied the subject on his own or with private tutors. Euler's father, a minister, had wanted his son to enter the ministry and sent him to the University of Basel in Switzerland where in 1723 he completed his Master's degree in philosophy . However, Johann Bernoulli (another famous mathematician) eventually convinced the elder Euler to let his son study mathematics instead of theology.

Although he never became a minister Euler was a devout Christian all of his life. Once, while he was working in the court of Catherine the Great, Euler had a debate with the atheist French philosopher Denis Diderot over the existence of God. Euler claimed that he had a mathematical proof which he stated as follows:

Diderot, whose knowledge of mathematics was minimal, soon left St. Petersburg and returned to France.

Euler and his wife had 13 childern, although only five lived past infancy. Euler was devoted to his family, and later said that he made mathematical discoveries while holding an infant in one arm.

Euler's talents were not confined to mathematics. He also made contributions to the fields of physics, astronomy, cartography and music.