Gottfied Wilhelm von Leibniz 1646 Born (July 1) in Leipzig (which is not Germany)(7) (9) Father was a Professor of Moral Philosophy (7)(9) 1652~ Father dies when he is 6 yrs old(7)(9) Raised by his Mother, Catharina Schmuck, her father was a lawyer Mom was influential to moral and religious values throughout life (7) 1653 at 7 yrs he enters Nicolai School in Leipzig He has access to his father s library and is motivated to read these books (7) School taught Latin, but he taught himself higher level Latin and Greek by age 12 So he could read more books in Dad s library (7) 1661 14 yrs old entered University of Leipzig (young, but most likely not the only one this age) (7) 1663 Bachelor s Degree (7) Spends a summer at University of Jena and worked with Erhaud Weigel (7) Leipzig weak in Math, so it is believed this is where Gott fried had his first exposure To math here. Erhard Weigel who believed that all the universe could be viewed in terms of numbers (1.) (http://fermatslasttheorem.blogspot.com/2007/10/gottfried-wilhelmleibniz.html) Back in Leipzig he got a Masters in Philosophy and Law 17 yrs (mom died right after dissertation) (7) 1666 Published Dissertation on the Combinatorial Art (7) reduce all reasoning to combo of # s, letters. Sounds, and colours Refused Doctorate in Law @ Leipzig either he would to wait one year b/c older students Got one of the 12 coveted spots or- a rumor the wife of a Dean convinced him to Argue against Leipzig (7) Transferred to University of Altdorf and got Doctorate a year later (7) 1667 Worked Nuremburg Alchemical Society (2.) Nov. Worked for Baron Boineburg in Frankfurt (2) Worked in Courts of Mainz (using Law degree) from 1997-1672 (2) 1671 Trip to London, met Royal Society and showed his incomplete calculating machine Hooke said bad things about the machine and put down Leibniz to Society Leibniz decided he needed to up his level of math and double his efforts 1672 Visited Paris Initially sent for his war idea STUDIED WITH HUYGENS where he really first learned higher math Boineburg sent his son to Paris to study under Leibniz so he was supported financially
1673 Apr 19 Leibniz elected member of Royal Society 1673-1676 Leibniz discovers Calculus 1674 Began studying infinitesimals. He wrote Oldenburg and Oldenburg responded about Newton s Work 1675 Tschirnhaus friendship began in Paris (4). Tschirnhaus had been sent a manuscript of Newton s work in May 1675 Paris is the time he worked on his version Calculus Nov. manuscript using the symbols for the 1 st time & product rule of differentiation (- - ) (6) 1676 d(x n ) = nx n- 1 dx Newton wrote letter Oct. 24 to Newton (2nd and last) letter to Leibniz However, it did not reach Leibniz until June 1677 Newton politely told Leibniz that he stole his ideas 1676 Leibniz left Paris because he did not get an invitation to stay @ the Academy of Sciences Like he wanted. Most likely because the French thought they had too many Foreigners at the time academically Reluctantly moved to Hanover, Germany with a job offer to work for the Duke of Hanover His home stayed in Hanover until his death, but he traveled a lot. He was always looking for A better, more prestigious jobs (but he had always done this). *Hired by Duke Johann Friedrich (7) * He dies 1680 and brother Ernst August becomes new Duke (7) * Given job of ancestory (7) 1679 Binary System (7) 1686 Integral Calculus with notation published in Acta Eruditorium 1687-1690 While working for the Duke of Hanover, he had the job of writing the history of The Guelf Family, which was a part of the House of Brunswick or House of Hanover That would eventually be the line for the King of England (with the help of this research) He traveled A LOT doing this and complied 9 volumes of material. Never wrote the book (7) 1689 Worked in Vatican library / worked on dynamics 1700 Created Philosophical work problems of evil in a world created by God In 1700 the Brandenburg Society (Berlin Academy of Science) was founded at Leibniz's prompting. He worked on founding an institutional framework for the sciences in central Europe and Russia. He met with Peter the Great a number of times, offering recommendations for educational reforms for Russia, and he proposed what would eventually be the Saint Petersburg Academy (2) Meeting with Peter the Great 1711 (8)
1711 Keill paper accusing Leibniz of plagiarism (Kiell fan of Newton) Leibniz asked Royal Society for a retraction Royal Society responded with Committee to address the issue Leibniz didn t even have a chance or asked to give his side 1713 Newton authored answer in favor of himself 1713 Johann Bernoulli tells Leibniz of findings Leibniz published pamphlet defending himself by describing Newton s mistake in understanding 2 nd and higher derivations (which was found by Johann) 1714 Autumn Leibniz actually sees the published findings that he is guilty 1716 Died in Hanover (70 years old) Died from gaut and colic after a week in bed. Proper funeral, but not many people at his Funeral. House of Hanover even said to have stayed away Mathematics in last years was mainly spent on the debate with Newton Random Yet Really Good Information ** Over 600 corredpondents ** People he worked with Huygen first taught him high levels of Math Johann Bernoulli one of only to defend Leibniz in Calculus controversy Grandi Verignon *** STORY - - For example, Leibniz formed a political plan to persuade the French to drive the Turks out of Egypt, in a ploy to divert the French from attacking German areas. He went to Paris in 1672, on behalf of Boineburg, though his advice was not taken (2). Keep French away from Northern Europe. (almost exactly the same scheme as was carried out by Napolean a century and a half later) (3) Louie XIV (14 th ) (7) He remained in Paris for four years, where he met the "natural philosophers" Huygens, Malbranche, and Arnauld. Hyugens introduced him to his own theories on the nature of light that were in opposition to Newton's. Leibniz' own theories contrasted with Newton's, he in turn impressed upon Arnauld the workings of his own metaphysical system. He also prided his ability to recite poetry, claiming to be able to recite the majority of Virgil's "Aenid" by heart, earning him the friendship of the Royal Librarian, Carcavi, in Paris. (2)
** OTHER THINGS HE DID Scientific -Windmills hydraulic process lamps water pump clocks carriages Literary (8) Political Philosophy Geography Life long goal to Collate all Human Knowledge (7) Binary system 1679, published 1701 (7) Determinants (7) Pascal s triangle (9) Sums & differences (9) Harmonic Triangle (9) also took on diverse projects, including one that involved the draining of water from the mines in the Harz mountains. He proposed to use wind and water power to operate pumps. Though the project failed, his time on the project led to important discoveries in the field of geography, including the theory that the earth was once molten. During these years he also developed a binary number system, as well as a series of key components to a discipline of symbolic logic. He also returned his focus on his own philosophy, completing works on metaphysics and systematic philosophy (7)during the 1680's and 90's. (2) Move to set up academies in Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, St. Petersburg (7) Leibniz s contributions to Calculus: Sum of differentials (infinitesimal decimals) (Katz, 472) Differentials and fundamental theorem (Katz, 472) Transmutation theorem (9) Arithmetical quadrature of the circle (9, p. 674) Ist published some of these results in A new Method for Maxima and minima as Tangents, which is neither impeded by fractional nor irrational Quantities (9)
***NEWTON FIGHT NEWTON s approach Velocity and distance (9) - - Physics and curves to motion Limit and concerte LEIBNIZ s approach Differences and Sums (9) - - Geometry (using Descartes & Pascal) Abstract and infinitesimal 1672- According to Charles Bossut: De Analysi per Aequationes and a letter in 1672 contained Newton s method of fluxions, but Leibniz either did not have knowledge of these before he created his version of differential Calculus, or he derived no information from them (5). 1672 Dec Newton Letter (only contained results, not a demonstration (5) ) letter to Collins 1673 Leibinz corresponding to Newton through Oldenburg (got a glimpse of Newton s fluxion) (10) Leibinz requested more information, Newton only sent it after prodding from Oldenburg & Collins He sent an anagram 6accd... (10, p. 90) 1676 October 24 th, Newton send letter through Oldenburg (10) (5) Collins shows Leibinz Newton s De Analysi however another account doesn t thing Leibniz ever saw it (5) Charles Bossut 1677 Summer, letter received by Leibinz with full account of his differential calculus (10, p. 90) Newton stopped correspondence (Leibinz thought he would be equally open (10) 1684 Leibinz publishes 1687 Newton first edition Principia recognition to Leibinz but comments hardly differed from mine, except in his forms of words and symbols (as cited in Maor (10), p. 91) 1704 Newton published Opticks in appendix about fluxions he comments about people copying his work. Eluding to the 1676 letter Leibinz (10) And making it public referred to Leibinz s visit to London in 1676 (10) Collins showed him a Copy of Newton s work 1705 Leibinz published Acta eruditorum where he implies that the 2 versions of calculus are the same Except in notation and implies Newton took work from him 1712 Leibinz request his name is cleared in Royal Society; they create a committee Including Newton supporters 1713 Johann Bernoulli questions Newton s Character but later retracts (10, p. 91-92) 1714 Elector becomes King of England and doesn t invite Leibniz along (perhaps he didn t want the Controversy ) (10) 1721 Newton supervises a second printing of Royal Society s findings 1726 Newton publishes third edition of Principia and takes out all mentions of Leibinz 1714 Wrote History of Origin of the Differential Calculus in response that he stole from Newton (9) Extracts of Letter could have been done in 1704 but some think it was 1675 with T.. or 1676 with Collins and Ogleburg. But Leibinz made inquiries about the method. Why would he if he already knew the answers (5)
** What people said of Leipniz Leibniz was a man of medium height with a stoop, broad- shouldered but band- legged, as capable of thinking for several days sitting in the same chair as of travelling the roads of Europe summer and winter. He was an indefatigable worker, a universal letter writer (he had more than 600 correspondents), a patriot and cosmopolitan, a great scientist, and one of the most powerful spirits of Western Civilization. (7) Leibniz s Legacy might not have been quite what he had hoped for: It is ironical that one so devoted to the cause of mutual understanding should have succeeded only in adding to intellectual chauvinism and dogmatism. There is a similar irony in the fact that he was one of the last great polymaths not in the frivolous sense of having a wide general knowledge, but in the deeper sense of one who is a citizen of the whole world of intellectual inquiry. He deliberately ignored boundaries between disciplines, and lack of qualifications never deterred him from contributing fresh insights to established specialisms. Indeed, one of the reasons why he was so hostile to universities as institutions was because their faculty structure prevented the cross- fertilization of ideas which he saw as essential to bringing about an era of far greater intellectual and scientific specialism, as technical advances pushed more and more disciplines out of the reach of the intelligent layman and amateur (7) Resources 1. http://fermatslasttheorem.blogspot.com/2007/10/gottfried-wilhelm-leibniz.html 2. http://www.egs.edu/library/gottfried- wilhelm- leibniz/biography/ 3. www.philosophy.leeds.ac.uk/gmr/hmp/resources /biographies/leibniz/leibniz.html 4. www.angelfire.com/md/byme/mathsample.html 5. www- history.mcs.st- and.ac.uk/extras/bossut_chapter_v.html 6. www- history.mcs.st- andrews.ac.uk/histopics/the_rise_of_calculus.html 7. www- history.mcs.st- and.ac.uk/biographies/leibniz.html 8. www.mally.stanford.edu/leibniz.html 9. A History of Mathematics by Victor J. Katz 1993 10. e The Story of a Number by Eli Maor 1994