Nicolaus I Bernoulli facts for kids
Nicolaus Bernoulli (also known as Nicolas or Nikolas) was a famous Swiss mathematician. He was born on October 20, 1687, in Basel, Switzerland, and passed away there on November 29, 1759. Nicolaus was part of the amazing Bernoulli family, which had many brilliant mathematicians.
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Life and Education
Nicolaus Bernoulli was born in Basel, Switzerland. His father, also named Nicolaus Bernoulli, was a painter and an important city official.
University Studies
Nicolaus went to the University of Basel. In 1704, he finished his first degree. His teacher was his uncle, Jakob Bernoulli, who was also a very famous mathematician. Five years later, in 1709, Nicolaus earned his PhD. A PhD is a very high university degree. His special project was about probability theory and how it could be used in law. Probability theory is about understanding how likely events are to happen.
Teaching Career
In 1716, Nicolaus became a professor at the University of Padua in Italy. This was a very important position, named after the famous scientist Galileo. While there, he studied differential equations and geometry. Differential equations are special math problems that describe how things change. Geometry is the study of shapes, sizes, and positions of figures.
In 1722, he moved back to Switzerland. He became a professor at the University of Basel, where he taught Logics. Logic is the study of correct reasoning.
Royal Society Membership
In March 1714, Nicolaus Bernoulli was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. This is a very old and respected group of scientists. Being a Fellow means you are recognized for your important work in science.
Important Discoveries
Nicolaus Bernoulli's most important ideas were often shared in his letters to other mathematicians. He wrote to people like Pierre Rémond de Montmort. In these letters, he introduced a famous problem called the St. Petersburg Paradox. This paradox is a tricky puzzle in probability that makes you think about how we value risk and reward.
He also wrote letters to other great thinkers of his time, including Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Leonhard Euler. Sharing ideas through letters was a common way for scientists to work together back then.
Nicolaus Bernoulli passed away on November 29, 1759, leaving behind important contributions to mathematics.
