Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German polymath who made significant contributions to mathematics, philosophy, and science in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He is best known for independently developing calculus, inventing the binary number system, and his philosophical work on metaphysics, including his theory of monads and the concept of the "best of all possible worlds". Leibniz's wide-ranging intellect led him to make important advances in fields such as logic, physics, and mechanical calculators, cementing his place as one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment era.