1790-1868

German mathematician and theoretical astronomer best remembered for his developments in topology, including the one-sided figure since known as the "Möbius strip." Möbius taught astronomy at the University of Leipzig, and supervised the establishment of its observatory. His astronomical works include Die Elemente der Mechanik des Himmels (The Elements of Celestial Mechanics, 1848). In mathematics, his Der Barycentrische Calcul (The Calculus of Centers of Gravity, 1827) played an important part in the subsequent development of projective geometry.