ABSTRACT
In 1724, when Daniel Bernoulli at the age of 24 published his book Exercitationes mathematicae in Venice , his father was surprised that his second son was making a name for himself in mathematics —not in medicine as his father had planned. In an attempt to mollify his father, Daniel identifi ed himself in the introduction to his book as “Daniel Bernoulli, Johann ’s son,” a practice he continued in all his scientifi c writings, even long after he had established himself as a distinguished professor and scholar. His father never acknowledged Daniel ’s gesture, either then or later. Nevertheless, Daniel humbly continued to portray himself as a lesser scholar than his father , the respected prince of mathematicians in Europe.
