The following list is composed of items, techniques and processes that were invented by or discovered by people from Switzerland.
Astronomy First exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star discovered by Swiss astronomers Didier Queloz and Michel Mayor in 1995 (51 Pegasi b), Nobel-prize laureates in Physics in 2019 Earliest estimation of the "radiation of the stars” in his 1896 article "La Température de L'Espace" by Charles Édouard Guillaume
Biology
Nucleic acid, DNA by Friedrich Miescher (1868) Restriction endonuclease by Werner Arber Research of the Immune system by Rolf M. Zinkernagel
Chemistry
Laudanum by Paracelsus Aluminium foil by Robert Victor Neher Cellophane by Jacques E. Brandenberger DDT by Paul Hermann Müller Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) by Albert Hofmann Nickel–steel alloys he named invar, elinvar and platinite [it] by Charles Édouard Guillaume Reichstein process by Tadeus Reichstein Glyphosate by Henri Martin Sandmeyer reaction by Traugott Sandmeyer
Clothes and Fashion Velcro by George de Mestral Coil Zip fastening invented by Martin Winterhalter
Computing Computer mouse: First computer mouse by René Sommer, co-inventor First laser mouse (2004) Pascal programming language by Niklaus Wirth Smaky by Jean-Daniel Nicoud World Wide Web at CERN
Construction Structural steel reinforced concrete revolution by Robert Maillart at ETH Zurich three-hinged arch deck-stiffened arch for bridges beamless floor slab mushroom ceiling for industrial buildings Tunnel waterproofing by Sika
Cuisine
Absinthe Älplermagronen Aromat Bündnernusstorte Cheeses and cheese recipes Fondue Gruyère Raclette Sbrinz, the ancestor of the Parmiggiano Reggiano and the Pecorino romano Chocolates: Conching by Rudolf Lindt Hazelnut chocolate by Charles-Amédée Kohler Milk chocolate by Daniel Peter (disputed) White chocolate by Nestlé And his Partner Coffee Capsule Instant coffee by Max Morgenthaler Meringues Milk powder Muesli by Maximilian Bircher-Benner Rösti Stock cubes Tools: Immersion blender by Roger Perrinjaquet Rex vegetable peeler by Alfred Neweczerzal Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
Economics Discovery of economic cycles and propagation of Social policy against the classic liberal economy by Simonde de Sismondi Bank secrecy
Mathematics
Leonhard Euler Leonhard Euler's work:
Mathematical notations that he introduced: Concept of a function (first to write f(x) to denote the function f applied to the argument x) Letter Σ for summations Letter i to denote the imaginary unit Modern notation for the trigonometric functions Natural logarithm (now also known as Euler's number) Differential equations Defined logarithms for negative and complex numbers Defined the exponential function for complex numbers and discovered its relation to the trigonometric functions Development of power series, the expression of functions as sums of infinitely many terms Euler–Bernoulli beam equation, a cornerstone of engineering Euler's critical load, the critical buckling load of an ideal strut Euler equations in Fluid dynamics Euler's formula e i φ = cos φ + i sin φ {\displaystyle e^{i\varphi }=\cos \varphi +i\sin \varphi }
Euler's identity e i π + 1 = 0 {\displaystyle e^{i\pi }+1=0}
Introduction of exponential function and logarithms in analytic proofs Predicted the phenomenon of cavitation in 1754 before observing it Solution to the Basel problem (1735)
Bernoulli family
Jacob Bernoulli (1655–1705) Jacob Bernoulli's work:
Ars Conjectandi published in Basel in 1713, theory of probability from which resulted the Bernoulli trial. Bernoulli numbers Bernoulli differential equation solved y
y ′ = p ( x ) y + q ( x ) y n . {\displaystyle y'=p(x)y+q(x)y^{n}.}
Discovery of the constant e by studying a question about compound interest
lim n → ∞ ( 1 + 1 n ) n {\displaystyle \lim _{n\to \infty }\left(1+{\frac {1}{n}}\right)^{n}}
Introduces the term integral in calculus Lemniscate of Bernoulli Solution of differential equation by separation of variables
Nicolaus I Bernoulli (1687-1759) Nicolaus I Bernoulli's s contributions:
Orthogonal trajectories Probability and statistics research with the St. Petersburg Paradox
Nicolaus II Bernoulli (1695-1726) Nicolaus II Bernoulli's contribution:
He posed the problem of reciprocal orthogonal trajectories
Daniel Bernoulli (1700–1782) Daniel Bernoulli's contributions:
Bernoulli's principle is of critical use in aerodynamics. Expected utility theory He laid the basis for the kinetic theory of gases, and applied the idea to explain Boyle's law (Hydrodynamica 1738). He worked with Euler on elasticity and the development of the Euler–Bernoulli beam equation. Principle of superposition was first stated by Daniel Bernoulli in 1753 ("The general motion of a vibrating system is given by a superposition of its proper vibrations")
Gabriel Cramer Gabriel Cramer's contributions
Cramer's theorem (algebraic curves) In 1750 he published Cramer's rule, giving a general formula for the solution for any unknown in a linear equation system having a unique solution, in terms of determinants implied by the system. This rule is still standard.]
Others Planimeter by Jakob Amsler-Laffon.
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