ProofWiki:Mathematicians/Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz

German mathematician and philosopher who is best known for being the co-inventor (independently of Isaac Newton) of calculus.

Discovered and proved what is now known as Wilson's Theorem.

Posed what is now known as Leibniz's Question: "Is there an algorithm for deciding which statements of number theory are true?"

Nationality

German

History

• Born: 1 July 1646, Leipzig, Saxony (now Germany)
• Died: 14 Nov 1716, Hannover, Hanover (now Germany)

Theorems and Definitions

• Leibniz's Law
• Leibniz's Rule
• Leibniz's Question
• Leibniz's Formula for Pi

• Praeclarum Theorema

Books and Papers

• 1666: De Arte Combinatoria (On the Art of Combination)
• 1671: Hypothesis Physica Nova (New Physical Hypothesis)
• 1673: Confessio philosophi (A Philosopher's Creed)
• 1684: Nova methodus pro maximis et minimis (New method for maximums and minimums)
• 1686: Discours de métaphysique
• 1703: Explication de l'Arithmétique Binaire (Explanation of Binary Arithmetic)
• 1704: Nouveaux essais sur l'entendement humain
• 1710: Théodicée
• 1714: Monadologie

Also see

• John J. O'Connor and Edmund F. Robertson: "Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz": MacTutor History of Mathematics archive

• Eric Temple Bell: Men of Mathematics (1937): Chapter $\text{VII}$
• George F. Simmons: Calculus Gems (1992): Chapter $\text {A}.19$