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Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was born in the middle of the 17th century but made substantial contributions to computer science, still at the base of modern computers.
Born that day in 1646, the German mathematician completed his degree in philosophy in an age of 15 and continued to become one of the most prominent figures in history of philosophy. He was one of the first advocates of the theory of rationalism and anticipated modern logic and analytic philosophy.
But it's for his math work that his 372nd birthday is celebrated in a Google Doodle on Sunday. While Leibniz's greatest achievement is his contribution to the study of computation, he also refines the binary digital system, in which a series of ones and zeros express numbers. The system forms the basis of almost all modern computers and mobile devices.
Leibniz was also a prolific inventor of mechanical calculators, designing in 1685 the pinwheel calculator, an engine built wheels with adjustable teeth that would appreciate popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. His Leibniz wheel, invented in 1673, powered the first mass-produced computing machine and was used for three centuries until the invention of the electronic calculator in the 1970s.
He also contributed to a wide range of topics, including biology, medicine, psychology and linguistics.
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