The classic problem of squaring the circle had intrigued mathematicians since the time of Euclid. Only in 1882, however, when Ferdinand Lindemann proved that is a transcendental number, was this problem finally resolved. While Lindemann is best known for this one result, he also played an important role in the development of mathematics in Germany during the turn of the 20th century.

Lindemann was born in Hanover, Germany, on April 12, 1852. His father was a teacher of modern languages and later a manager of a gas works while his mother was the daughter of a famous teacher of classical languages, so it is not surprising that their son finished first in his class upon graduating from his gymnasium in 1870. France and Germany had recently gone to war, but Lindemann's poor health prevented him from being called into the army. Instead, he enrolled at the University of Göttingen to...