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Daniel Bernoulli, often referred to as one of the Bernoulli brothers, a mathematician, a Swiss mathematical physicist and scientist, was born in Gröningen, Netherlands, to Johann Bernoulli, a professor of mathematics at the University of Gröningen.

     As a young child, he studied logic, philosophy, and mathematics.  He earned a master’s degree at the young age of 16.  Fighting the will of his father, he went to study medicine in Italy.  During this time period, he completed a work called Exercitationes quaedam mathematicae.  In this work, he discussed various mathematical topics, such as probability and fluid motion.

     Soon after this work was published, Bernoulli began teaching at the St. Petersburg Academy.  He furthered his studies in probability, as well as made connections between probability and various other disciplines, such as economic theory and ethics.  Using a hypothesis based on probability theory, he solved the "Petersburg paradox" which was created by his brother Nikolaus and himself.  The hypothesis states "if a person’s material fortune increases geometrically, his or her moral fortune will increase arithmetically" (Young, 1998, p. 48).  The paradox is based on the flipping of a coin.  It says, "When the first toss is head, B pays A one dollar.  If the first toss is tail, A gets nothing, but if the second toss is head, he gets two dollars, and so on, the idea being that if head appears on the nth toss, A should get 2^(n-1) dollars" (Young, 1998, p. 48).  Therefore, the expectation in the mathematical sense would be infinite.  However, Georges-Louis-Leclerc, known as Comte de Buffon, did find an empirical answer.  After 2,084 games, A will receive less than $5 per game or a total of $10,057.

     Wanting to teach in Basel, Bernoulli accepted a position to teach botany.  Lacking interest in this field, he continued to pursue his many other interests.  In 1738, he published Hydraulica, a work containing Bernoulli’s principle and some ideas about the mechanics of gases.  In 1743, Bernoulli accepted a professorship in physiology, and in 1750 became the chair of physics in Basel.  In this position, Bernoulli studied wave motion and explored the nature of energy and began to apply his mathematical knowledge to common occurrences.  Also, he made connections between music and mathematics.

     Bernoulli made great contributions to many fields during his different professorships.  Soon after retirement, Bernoulli died on March 17, 1782. 

Additional Links:
MacTutor - D. Bernoulli
The Bernoullis- Germantown Academy Mathematical Biographies
Mathematicians of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries - D. Bernoulli

Picture reproduced from MacTutor History of Mathematics archive with permission.