Johann Bernoulli was the tenth child of Nicolaus and Margaretha Bernoulli. He was the brother of Jacob Bernoulli but Johann was twelve years younger than his brother Jacob which meant that Jacob was already a young man while Johann was still a child. The two brothers were to have an important influence on each others mathematical development and it was particularly true that in his early years Johann must have been greatly influenced by seeing Jacob head towards a mathematical career despite the objections of his parents. As to his education as a child, Johann wrote in his autobiography that his parents:-