The Birthday of Voltaire (1694) – Mathematics of Optimism

Voltaire wrote ‘Candide’ mocking Leibniz’s optimism (best of all possible worlds). Leibniz’s philosophy was inspired by mathematics: the calculus of variations finds optimal functions, and Leibniz believed that God solved the optimisation problem for the universe. Voltaire was not a mathematician but understood that ‘best possible’ is a mathematical claim. The calculus of variations (Euler‑Lagrange equations) is still used to find minimal surfaces and optimal trajectories. Even Voltaire would admit that the principle of least action is mathematically beautiful.