Editing Christian Goldbach (section)

==Biography==

=== Early life ===
Born in the [[Duchy of Prussia]]'s capital [[Königsberg]], part of [[Brandenburg-Prussia]], Goldbach was the son of a pastor.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Christian Goldbach - Biography |url=https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Goldbach/ |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=Maths History |language=en}}</ref> He studied at the [[University of Königsberg|Royal Albertus University]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Aliprandini |first=Michael |date=2017-01-08 |title=Christian Goldbach |url=http://access.library.miami.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=20912957&site=ehost-live |journal=Great Tech Publishing |pages=1–2 |via=EBSCO}}</ref> After finishing his studies he went on long educational trips from 1710 to 1724 through Europe, visiting other German states, England, the Netherlands, Italy, and France, meeting with many famous mathematicians, such as [[Gottfried Leibniz]], [[Leonhard Euler]], and [[Nicholas I Bernoulli]]. These acquaintances started Goldbach's interest in mathematics.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Haas |first=Robert |date=2014-02-01 |title=Goldbach, Hurwitz, and the Infinitude of Primes: Weaving a Proof across the Centuries* |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00283-013-9402-8 |journal=The Mathematical Intelligencer |language=en |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=54–60 |doi=10.1007/s00283-013-9402-8 |s2cid=253817631 |issn=1866-7414}}</ref> He briefly attended [[Oxford University]] in 1713 and, while he was there, Goldbach studied mathematics with [[John Wallis]] and [[Isaac Newton]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Calinger |first=Ronald C |title=Leonhard Euler: Mathematical Genius in the Enlightenment |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0691119274 |pages=50–51, 66–80, 328–345}}</ref> Also, Goldbach's travels fostered his interest in philology, archaeology, metaphysics, ballistics, and medicine.<ref name=":2" /> Between 1717 and 1724, Goldbach published his first few papers which, while minor, credited his mathematical ability. Back in Königsberg, he became acquainted with [[Georg Bernhard Bilfinger]] and [[Jakob Hermann]].<ref name=":3" />

=== Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences ===
[[File:Russian Academy of Sciences SPB.jpg|thumb|Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences building called Kunstkammer dating back to 1728]]
Goldbach followed Bilfinger and Hermann to the newly opened St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1725.<ref name="eb">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Christian Goldbach |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/237446/Christian-Goldbach |access-date=26 October 2014 |date=16 August 2013}}</ref> [[Christian Wolff (philosopher)|Christian Wolff]] had invited and had written recommendations for all the Germans who traveled to Saint Petersburg for the academy except Goldbach.<ref name=":4" /> Goldbach wrote to the president-designate of the academy, petitioning for a position in the academy, using his past publications and knowledge in medicine and law as qualifications.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="eb" /> Goldbach was then hired to a five-year contract as a professor of mathematics and historian of the academy.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="eb" /> As historian of the academy, he recorded each academy meeting from the opening of the school in 1725 until January 1728.<ref name="eb" /> Goldbach worked with famous mathematicians like [[Leonhard Euler]], [[Daniel Bernoulli]], [[Johann Bernoulli]], and [[Jean le Rond d'Alembert]].<ref name=":1" /> Goldbach also played a part in Euler's decision to academically pursue mathematics instead of medicine, cementing mathematics as the premier research field of the academy in the 1730s.<ref name=":4" />

=== Russian government work ===
In 1728, when [[Peter II of Russia|Peter II]] became [[Tsar]] of Russia, Goldbach became Peter II and [[Anna of Russia|Anna]]'s, Peter II's cousin, tutor.<ref name="eb" /> Peter II moved the Russian court from St. Petersburg to Moscow in 1729, so Goldbach followed him to Moscow.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="eb" /> Goldbach started a correspondence with [[Leonhard Euler|Euler]] in 1729, in which some of Goldbach's most important mathematics contributions can be found.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> Upon [[Peter II of Russia|Peter II]]'s death in 1730, Goldbach stopped teaching but continued to assist [[Anna of Russia|Empress Anna]].<ref name="eb" /> In 1732, Goldbach returned to the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and stayed in the Russian government when Anna moved the court back to St. Petersburg.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="eb" /> Upon return to the academy, Goldbach was named corresponding secretary.<ref name=":4" /> With Goldbach's return, his friend Euler continued his teaching and research at the academy as well.<ref name=":4" /> Then, in 1737, Goldbach and J.D. Schumacher took over the administration of the academy.<ref name="eb" /> Also, Goldbach took on duty in Russian court under Empress Anna.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="eb" /> He managed to retain his influence in court after the death of Anna and the rule of [[Elizabeth of Russia|Empress Elizabeth]].<ref name=":3" /> In 1742 he entered the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], stepping away from the academy once more.<ref name="eb" /> Goldbach was gifted land and increased salary for his good work and rise in the Russian government.<ref name=":3" /> In 1760, Goldbach created new guidelines for the education of the royal children which would remain in place for 100 years.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="eb" /> He died on 20 November 1764, aged 74, in [[Moscow]].

Christian Goldbach was [[multilingualism|multilingual]] – he wrote a diary in [[German language|German]] and [[Latin language|Latin]], his letters were written in German, Latin, [[French language|French]], and [[Italian language|Italian]] and for official documents he used Russian, German and Latin.<ref>Adolf Juskevic, Judith Kopelevic: Christian Goldbach 1690-1764 (Vita Mathematica), Birkhäuser Publishing House, 1994, {{ISBN|3764326786}}, pg. XII.</ref>