Leonhard Euler’s Contribution to the Development of Russian Educational Mathematical Literature

Aim. To present the unique contribution of the outstanding world-renowned mathematician L. Euler to the development of Russian educational mathematical literature.

Methodology. The study is based on an anthropological approach, which helps to review the study of history as a process created by humans as its primary subject and makes examination of educational mathematical publications possible due to the creativity of specific individuals. It also uses the historic method, which serves to identify the logic and periods of historical development.

Results. The study established that L. Euler’s contribution to the development of domestic educational mathematics literature consisted in setting the task of creating a textbook that would implement an innovative for its time information model of a scientific discipline (arithmetic, algebra), the focus of which would be scientific rigor with strict evidence or practice-oriented presentation with a frequent absence of evidence-based reasoning (L. Euler proposed a compromise based on the principle of accessibility of training – the development of innovative manuals that had numerous methodological advantages), in the development of a mathematical theory that lays the foundation for the development of a textbook (in particular, on trigonometry), and in the use of L. Euler’s ideas by national authors of textbooks (S. Ya. Rumovsky, N. G. Kurganov, M. E. Golovin, N. I. Fuss).

Research implications. This paper clarifies and expands our understanding of L. Euler’s contribution to the development of educational mathematics literature. It demonstrates Euler’s role in the creation of such a special genre of educational mathematics literature as a textbook, which serves as an information model for scientific discipline. T. S. Polyakova’s list of methodological merits of Euler’s educational publications has been expanded. Current understanding of N. G. Kurganov’s work as a successor to L. F. Magnitsky and Euler’s ideological follower has been refined. The results of the study can be used in developing lectures and practical classes for students and participants in advanced training courses for teaching staff and in the creation of modern domestic educational mathematics literature by academics and methodologists, which is extremely important in the context of the digitalization of textbooks. The results of the study may be of interest to specialists in the field of the history of mathematics education.

Conclusions. The results of the study demonstrate the significant role of L. Euler in the development of Russian printed educational mathematics literature. During the initial development of educational mathematics publications, when the general dominant theme of educational mathematics books was being developed, L. Euler posed a major didactic and methodological challenge – finding a compromise between fundamentality and practical orientation.

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