In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Leonhard Euler, the 18th-century Swiss polymath widely considered the most prolific mathematician in history. From his early education in Basel under the famous Johann Bernoulli to his tenure at the imperial academies of Saint Petersburg and Berlin, Euler’s intellect reshaped our understanding of the universe.

We discuss how Euler introduced the mathematical language we use today, including the concept of a function $f(x)$ and the notation for $\pi$, $i$, and the base of the natural logarithm, $e$. We also break down his founding of graph theory through the famous Seven Bridges of Königsberg problem and his critical contributions to fluid dynamics, optics, and astronomy.

Tune in to hear about Euler’s incredible resilience—how he continued to produce roughly one paper per week even after going blind, relying on his photographic memory to dictate complex calculations to scribes. We also cover his devout personal philosophy, his clashes with figures like Voltaire and Frederick the Great, and why Pierre-Simon Laplace famously declared, "Read Euler, read Euler, he is the master of us all".