Leonhard Euler Overwhelmed Mathematical Naming

In the 1700s, Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler produced so much important work across mathematics and physics that later scholars faced a strange naming problem. To avoid naming too many discoveries after Euler, some results are credited to the first person who proved them after him. This practice, known as the Law of Eponymy of Stigler, states that no scientific discovery bears the name of its original discoverer. Euler’s legacy became so vast that even avoiding his name became part of mathematical history.

Previous Fact Next Fact