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This book primarily serves as a historical research monograph on the biographical sketch and career of Leonhard Euler and his major contributions to numerous areas in the mathematical and physical sciences. It contains fourteen chapters describing Euler's works on number theory, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, differential and integral calculus, analysis, infinite series and infinite products, ordinary and elliptic integrals and special functions, ordinary and partial differential equations, calculus of variations, graph theory and topology, mechanics and ballistic research, elasticity and fluid mechanics, physics and astronomy, probability and statistics. The book is written to provide a definitive impression of Euler's personal and professional life as well as of the range, power, and depth of his unique contributions. This tricentennial tribute commemorates Euler the great man and Euler the universal mathematician of all time. Based on the author's historically motivated method of teaching, special attention is given to demonstrate that Euler's work had served as the basis of research and developments of mathematical and physical sciences for the last 300 years. An attempt is also made to examine his research and its relation to current mathematics and science. Based on a series of Euler's extraordinary contributions, the historical development of many different subjects of mathematical sciences is traced with a linking commentary so that it puts the reader at the forefront of current research.
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P698.TP.indd 1 9/8/09 5:23:37 PM This page intentionally left blank Lokenath Debnath The University of Texas-Pan American, USA ICP P698.TP.indd 2 Imperial College Press 9/8/09 5:23:39 PM Published by Imperial College Press 57 Shelton Street Covent Garden London WC2H 9HE Distributed by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. 5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224 USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601 UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. THE LEGACY OF LEONHARD EULER A Tricentennial Tribute Copyright © 2010 by Imperial College Press All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the Publisher. For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to photocopy is not required from the publisher. ISBN-13 978-1-84816-525-0 ISBN-10 1-84816-525-0 Printed in Singapore. LaiFun - The Legacy of Leonhard.pmd 1 9/4/2009, 3:04 PM September 4, 2009 14:33 World Scientific Book - 9in x 6in Leonhard Euler (1707–1783) ii LegacyLeonhard September 4, 2009 14:33 World Scientific Book - 9in x 6in To my wife Sadhana, grandson Kirin, and granddaughter Princess Maya, with love and affection. v LegacyLeonhard September 4, 2009 14:33 World Scientific Book - 9in x 6in This page intentionally left blank LegacyLeonhard September 4, 2009 14:33 World Scientific Book - 9in x 6in LegacyLeonhard Preface Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) was a universal genius and one of the most brilliant intellects of all time. He made numerous major contributions to eighteenth century pure and applied mathematics, solid and