Abstract
Leonhard Euler\u2019s Letters to a German Princess: A Milestone in the History of Physics Textbooks and More
Highlights
Leonhard Euler’s well-known epistolary course in physics and philosophy, Lettres aune Princesse d’Allemagne sur divers sujets de physique et de philosophie, has since its first publication in 1768–1772 enjoyed an immense success
The charm of the Lettres is partly due to the clarity and simplicity characteristic of the author’s explanations of difficult issues, without recourse to formulas and equations, and partly due to his gentle mode of persuasion, the letters being addressed to an enlightened young lady of the ruling class, presumably Princess Friederike Charlotte Leopoldine Luise von Brandenburg-Schwedt (1745–1808), who was only 14 when the private course was initiated
Even if the physics involved is in part dated, Euler’s letters may captivate even the modern reader by presenting an accessible insight into the thoughts of one of the most brilliant mathematicians of all time
Summary
Leonhard Euler’s well-known epistolary course in physics and philosophy, Lettres aune Princesse d’Allemagne sur divers sujets de physique et de philosophie, has since its first publication in 1768–1772 enjoyed an immense success. Between 1760 and 1762, Euler wrote 234 letters to the Princess, totaling some 1000 pages of high-level science in a palatable form.
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