/sci/ - Science & Math

While in Berlin, Euler was asked to provide instruction in elementary science to the Princess of Anhalt Dessau. The result was a multi-volume masterpiece of exposition, subsequently published as Letters of Euler on Different Subjects in Natural Philosophy Addressed to a German Princess. This compilation of over 200 "letters" introduced subjects as diverse as light, sound, gravity, logic, language, magnetism, and astronomy. In the course of the work, Euler explained why it is cold atop a high mountain in the tropics, why the moon looks larger when it rises, and why the sky is blue. He ranged further afield when he discussed the origin of evil, the conversion of sinners, and the intriguing topic of "Electrization of Men and Animals." Writing about vision in a "letter" dated August 1760, Euler began with these words: "I am now enabled to explain the phenomena of vision, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest operations of nature that the human mind can contemplate." The poignancy of this remark, coming as it did from a partially — and soon to be totally — blind author, is striking. But Euler was not one to let personal misfortune interfere with his attitude toward the wonders of Nature. Letters to a German Princess became an international hit. The work was translated into a host of languages across Europe and eventually published (in 1833) in the United States.

Who is your mathfu?

Is there anything to be gained in reading older works like "Mechanica" or "Introduction to the Analysis of the Infinite" by Euler that one would otherwise be missing out on by only reading more contemporary literature? Or do modern mathematicians and physicists provide a deeper understanding of the material, by "standing on the shoulders of giants" as they say?

Is this man the most intelligent person ever to have lived?

How many hours a day do you think Euler worked?

How do I prove that a set that contains the elements (1 + 1/n)^n where n= 1, 2, 3... has a minimum element of 2, and how do I prove it has an upperbound?

Alright people, I'm about to buy a new calculus textbook. I'm looking to get a thorough treatment of the subject, so I've got the choice to buy either Spivak's Calculus, or Adams' "Calculus: A Complete Course". Which one should I go for?

Electrical and Computer Engineering major here. I have some free electives I can take. Would you recommend math or physics courses?

What happened in like HRE and Prussia and german-spreaking countries that led them to produce the greatest mathematicians the world has ever seen?

Euler, Gauss, Reimann, Klein, Leibniz, Bernoulli, Cantor, and so on.