Lascala 1
Francesca Lascala
Naala Brewer
MAT 210 MW 7pm
8 December 2016
Leibniz Research Paper
Gottfried Leibniz made many contributions to society in his 70 years on Earth. During a four year stay in Paris he worked on several projects in the fields of mathematics, science, philosophy, and politics. While there he befriended many prominent figures and accidentally made an enemy of another, Sir Isaac Newton. There arose miscommunication and skepticism of plagiarism that led to a lifetime feud over calculus. Overall though, Leibniz’s work left a mark on the world in multiple ways even outside of mathematics.
Leibniz was born on July 1, 1646 to Friedrich Leibniz and his third wife, Catharina Schmuck. While studying in Jena, his mathematics professor, Erhard Weigel taught him the important role math can play in critical thought and logical thinking in philosophy. Although already accustomed to thinking in a structured way from reading Aristotle, the application of mathematic principles was new to him. Leibniz was part of several academic societies and it was a lifelong goal of his to bring them all together and share their knowledge and work. While working as part of the Nuremberg alchemical society he was involved in science, literature, and politics. Much of his scientific studies was devoted to the concept of motion; he submitted many of his findings to the Royal Society and the Paris Academy.
He went to Paris in March of 1672 with the intention of furthering his scientific career because he was working on a calculating machine. However, being who he is, he became involved in many other affairs while there. His trip was made possible through political involvement in advising France with a pending war with Egypt and he met many mathematicians and philosophers once he arrived. He began to study mathematics under Christiaan Huygens in the fall.
Although his calculating machine project was not going well, he was excelling in math. In 1673 he worked on algebra and integration of geometric principles and equations and conics. He also began his calculus work, however he had trouble with notation. He finally determined a good notation, ∫ f(x)dx, in 1675 and d(xn) =nxn-1dx by 1676. It was during this time that his feud with Sir Isaac Newton began. They were corresponding about their discoveries through letters; however many two of Newton’s took so long to reach Leibniz that he would make the same discoveries or perhaps even solve some of Newton’s questions in the meantime. When Newton would hear about Leibniz’s discoveries he took it as a sign of disrespect and plagiarism. In 1684 Leibniz finally published his differential calculus discoveries in his Acta Eruditorumand again in 1686 with the inclusion of the ∫ notation. Newton published his Principia the following year although it took longer to publish, and caused further trouble between the two mathematicians. In 1711 John Keill accused Leibniz of plagiarizing Newton. Obviously this was not true and he had to continue to fight these claims until his death on November 14, 1716. It was a losing battle because even the Royal Society was on Newton’s side.
Liebniz was successful in each field he pursued because he brought creative thought to new topics. He chose to live his life well skilled in many things which allowed him to view various problems in each with perspectives that others would not have. He was invested in his work, and it showed. Joseph E. Hoffman wrote in Leibniz in Paris,
He procured the books named by Huygens and a few more from the Royal Library, made excerpt after excerpt and went really deeply into mathematics. As he learnt, his personality rapidly matured, digesting what he read and systematically penetrating its essence; he was concerned to aquire not facility in calculation or a mere catalogue of results, but basic insights and methods, and what he took in inspired continually in turn a surge of creative activity within himself. (48)
Liebniz is an inspiration to the world because of his dedication and creativity and it is a shame Newton’s quarrel with him caused a roadblock in his path to fame and recognition. It is likely that he could be more well-known and been given more opportunities for research had Newton not stood in his way. However, Liebniz still lived his life well and contributed to world in meaningful lasting ways, not only in math, but in politics, science, and philosophy as well.
Works Cited
“Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz” MacTutor.
andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Leibniz.html
Hofmann, Joseph E., Leibniz in Paris, Cambridge University Press, 1974.