Die Werke

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The first volume of Daniel Bernoulli's Collected Works showcases his remarkable versatility, covering diverse topics such as physiology, formal logic, mathematical analysis, hydrodynamics, and positional astronomy. His interactions with Italian scientists sparked several controversies, documented in this volume, which culminated in the publication of his first book, Exercitationes mathematicae, in 1724. Notably, his discussions with mathematician Jacopo Riccati on second-order differential equations and the Newtonian theory of fluid outflow are of particular interest. A significant portion of the texts originates from Bernoulli's time at the newly-established Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, where he was appointed in 1725. During this period, he contributed to physiological research on muscle movement and the blind spot in the human eye, as well as his sole paper in positional astronomy. This last work, prompted by a prize question from the Paris Académie des Sciences, led to intense debates, with the volume documenting these "Zänkereien" (squabbles) and including three competing treatises. To further illustrate Bernoulli's contributions to physiology, the volume features his 1737 ceremonial speech, De Vita, where he first outlines the circulation of blood as explained by his student, Daniel Passavant.