Jakob II Bernoulli (17 October 1759,

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

– 3 July 1789,

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

), younger brother of Johann III Bernoulli, was a Swiss physicist.

Biography

Having finished his literary studies, he was, according to custom, sent to Neuchâtel to learn French. On his return, he graduated in law. This study, however, did not check his hereditary taste for geometry. The early lessons which he had received from his father were continued by his uncle Daniel, and such was his progress that at the age of twenty-one he was called to undertake the duties of the chair of experimental physics, which his uncle's advanced years rendered him unable to discharge. He afterwards accepted the situation of secretary to count de Brenner, which afforded him an opportunity of seeing Germany and Italy. In Italy, he formed a friendship with Lorgna, professor of mathematics at Verona, and one of the founders of the Società Italiana for the encouragement of the sciences. He was also made corresponding member of the royal society of Turin; and, while residing at Venice, he was, through the friendly representation of Nicolaus von Fuss, admitted into the academy of St Petersburg. In 1788, he was named one of its mathematical professors. He drowned while bathing in the Neva in July 1789, a few months after his marriage to a granddaughter of

Leonhard Euler Leonhard Euler ( ; ; ; 15 April 170718 September 1783) was a Swiss polymath who was active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, logician, geographer, and engineer. He founded the studies of graph theory and topology and made influential ...

. Several of his papers are contained in the first six volumes of ''Nova Acta Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae'', in the ''Acta Helvetica'', in the ''Memoirs of the Academies of Berlin and Turin'', and in his brother Johann's publications. He also published separately some juridical and physical theses, and a German translation of ''Mémoires du philosophe de Merian''. He was one of the last notable members of the Bernoulli family.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernoulli, Jakob Ii 1759 births 1789 deaths 18th-century Swiss mathematicians Full members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences Scientists from Basel-Stadt 18th-century mathematicians from the Russian Empire Swiss Calvinist and Reformed Christians Accidental deaths in the Russian Empire Deaths by drowning Jakob II