Final answer:
The claim that mathematics names things after the second person to discover them due to Euler is false. Significant figures such as Euclid, Archimedes, and Kepler have theories and principles named after them, attributed to their foundational work in mathematics and science.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that things in mathematics are often named after the second person who discovered them because the first was always Euler is false. While Leonhard Euler was a prolific mathematician and made numerous contributions across various fields, the naming of mathematical concepts and theorems is not exclusively or mostly deferred to the second discoverer due to Euler. Mathematics, as a discipline, has a long history of attributions that predates Euler and continues to acknowledge multiple contributors both from the past and present.
Historical mathematicians such as Euclid and Archimedes made foundational contributions in fields like geometry and the understanding of pi. Their work has been recognized by naming mathematical principles after them, like Euclid's Elements and Archimedes' Principle. Similarly, Kepler's laws of planetary motion and the Pythagorean theorem are attributed to their original discoverers and have been crucial in the development of mathematics and science.
Naming conventions in mathematics also take into account the contributions of those who form the bedrock of mathematical thought, well before the time of Euler. Therefore, the naming is not as straightforward as the statement suggests and is subject to a variety of factors, including historical context, the significance of discovery, and cultural influences at the time.