Heroes of Computational Physics
Leonhard Euler was one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He was known not just for being a prolific mathematician and scientist, but for being able to clearly communicate complex topic to lay audiences. His contributions include work in infinitesimal calculus, number theory, astronomy, and applied mathematics. He created complex exponentials, discovered the formula for buckling load on a beam, and was the first to write the vector equations for inviscid fluid flow. His frequent use of power series led to creation of the ubiquitous first-order forward advection scheme that forms the basis of all explicit-in-time simulation codes. It is likely impossible to write any program in computational physics without the contributions of Leonhard Euler.
This model is a shadowgram of a panting of Leonhard Euler. From the back, it looks completely flat, but the front is raised such that light traveling through the piece generates an image of Euler. There is a convenient hole at the top of the plate from which to hang this piece, placed so that it will be perfectly level.