  In 1672, Leibniz was sent to Paris as part of a diplomatic mission  where he stayed – short trips aside – for the next four  years. His time spent in the intellectually vibrant French capital  proved crucial to the development of his mature views in physics.  While in Paris, Leibniz gained an expert’s knowledge of the  mathematics of his time, embarked on an intensive study of Cartesian  physics, and made contact with many of the leading natural  philosophers of his day. 