Christian Goldbach
Christian Goldbach | |
---|---|
Born | 18 March 1690 |
Died | 20 November 1764 | (aged 74)
Nationality | Prussian |
Citizenship | Russia |
Known for | Goldbach's conjecture Goldbach's theorem Goldbach's weak conjecture |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Mathematics and Law |
Signature | |
Christian Goldbach (
Biography
Early life
Born in the
Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences
Goldbach followed Bilfinger and Hermann to the newly opened St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1725.[4] Christian Wolff had invited and had written recommendations for all the Germans who traveled to Saint Petersburg for the academy except Goldbach.[3] Goldbach wrote to the president-designate of the academy, petitioning for a position in the academy, using his past publications and knowledge in medicine and law as qualifications.[3][4] Goldbach was then hired to a five-year contract as a professor of mathematics and historian of the academy.[3][4] As historian of the academy, he recorded each academy meeting from the opening of the school in 1725 until January 1728.[4] Goldbach worked with famous mathematicians like Leonhard Euler, Daniel Bernoulli, Johann Bernoulli, and Jean le Rond d'Alembert.[5] Goldbach also played a part in Euler's decision to academically pursue mathematics instead of medicine, cementing mathematics as the premier research field of the academy in the 1730s.[3]
Russian government work
In 1728, when Peter II became Tsar of Russia, Goldbach became Peter II and Anna's, Peter II's cousin, tutor.[4] Peter II moved the Russian court from St. Petersburg to Moscow in 1729, so Goldbach followed him to Moscow.[2][4] Goldbach started a correspondence with Euler in 1729, in which some of Goldbach's most important mathematics contributions can be found.[2][5] Upon Peter II's death in 1730, Goldbach stopped teaching but continued to assist Empress Anna.[4] In 1732, Goldbach returned to the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and stayed in the Russian government when Anna moved the court back to St. Petersburg.[2][4] Upon return to the academy, Goldbach was named corresponding secretary.[3] With Goldbach's return, his friend Euler continued his teaching and research at the academy as well.[3] Then, in 1737, Goldbach and J.D. Schumacher took over the administration of the academy.[4] Also, Goldbach took on duty in Russian court under Empress Anna.[2][4] He managed to retain his influence in court after the death of Anna and the rule of Empress Elizabeth.[2] In 1742 he entered the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stepping away from the academy once more.[4] Goldbach was gifted land and increased salary for his good work and rise in the Russian government.[2] In 1760, Goldbach created new guidelines for the education of the royal children which would remain in place for 100 years.[2][4] He died on 20 November 1764, aged 74, in Moscow.
Christian Goldbach was
Contributions
Goldbach is most noted for his correspondence with
Impact on Euler
It is Goldbach and Euler's correspondence that contains some of Goldbach's most important contributions to mathematics, specifically number theory.[2] Goldbach and Euler's friendship survived Goldbach's move to Moscow in 1728 and communication ensued.[3] Their correspondence spanned 196 letters over 35 years written in Latin, German, and French.[6] These letters spanned a wide range of topics, including various mathematics topics.[2] Goldbach was the leading influence on Euler's interest and work in number theory.[3] Most of the letters discuss Euler's research in number theory as well as differential calculus.[3] Until the late 1750s, Euler's correspondence on his number theory research was almost exclusively with Goldbach.[3]
Goldbach's earlier mathematical work and ideas in letters to Euler directly influenced some of Euler's work. In 1729, Euler solved two problems pertaining to sequences which had stumped Goldbach.
Works
- (1729) De transformatione serierum
- (1732) De terminis generalibus serierum
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 0-321-23707-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Christian Goldbach - Biography". Maths History. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
- ^ ISBN 978-0691119274.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Christian Goldbach". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
- ^ a b c Aliprandini, Michael (2017-01-08). "Christian Goldbach". Great Tech Publishing: 1–2 – via EBSCO.
- ^ S2CID 253817631.
- ISBN 3764326786, pg. XII.
- ^ "Goldbach, Christian". Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Charles Scribner's Sons. 2008. pp. 448–451. Retrieved 2022-10-20 – via Gale In Context: U.S. History.
External links
- Media related to Christian Goldbach at Wikimedia Commons
- O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Christian Goldbach", MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews
- Electronic copies of Euler's correspondence with Goldbach
- Neuester Himmels-Atlas, 1799 - Full digital facsimile, Linda Hall Library.