Marius Sophus Lie was one of the first prominent Norwegian scientists and among the last of the great 19th-century mathematicians. His main contribution was his theory of groups. Lie groupsand Lie algebrasare fundamental tools in many parts of 20th century mathematics, from the theory of differential equations to the understanding of elementary particle physics. Although he was an isolated academic who generally lacked regular contact with colleagues or interested students, Lie produced his finest work in collaboration with Felix Klein and later Friedrich Engel.

Lie was born on December 17, 1842, in Nordfjordeide, Norway, the youngest of six children. His father, Johann Herman Lie, was a Lutheran pastor. Lie's education was standard: he first studied in Moss, moving onto Kristiania (present-day Oslo) to study at Nissen's Private Latin School from 1857 to 1859. For the next six years, Lie studied mathematics and science at Kristiania University, graduating without distinction in 1865.

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