D'Alembert, Euler et l'Académie de Berlin

Abstract

René Taton : D'Alembert, Euler and the Berlin Academy. D'Alembert, who won one of the Berlin Academy's prizes in 1746, began a correspondence with Euler, the director of the Mathematical Class, and published several mathematical articles in the Academy's Mémoires. The letters he exchanged with Euler, especially in 1746-1751, are extremely interesting for the history of science in the 18th Century. Frederick II wished to make d'Alembert President of the Academy as early as 1752 and exchanged letters with him. His stay in Berlin in 1766 and Euler's replacement by Lagrange in 1766 increased d'Alembert's influence in the Academy, which was not however constant and was more marked in the field of letters than in those of philosophy and science.