Gottfried Leibniz. Line engraving by C. F. Boetius after G. Leygeb. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (1646-1716) was a German polymath and philosopher who occupies a prominent place in the history of mathematics and the history of philosophy, having developed differential and integral calculus independently of Isaac Newton. Leibniz's notation has been widely used ever since it was published. He became one of the most prolific inventors in the field of mechanical calculators. He also refined the binary number system, which is the foundation of digital computers.