  It is likely that Du Châtelet's interest in writing a text on Newtonian physics began to form around 1736 when Voltaire was working through his own ideas for a text on Newton, eventually published in 1738 (Eléments de la philosophie de Newton). Du Châtelet's distinct advantage over Voltaire on this project was her superior mathematical training, given that she sought out and benefitted from the tutelage of several of Europe's leading mathematicians. One such engagement was to have significant impact on both her own text on natural philosophy and on the fate of her reputation as an original and innovative thinker. This was her engagement with Samuel Koenig, who arrived at Cirey in 1739 to tutor Du Châtelet in mathematics shortly after Du Châtelet benefitted from similar tutelage under Maupertuis (Zinsser 2006, 162).