1777-1855

German Mathematician, Astronomer and Physicist

Carl Friedrich Gauss is considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, mentioned in the same breath as Archimedes (c. 287-212 B.C.) and Isaac Newton (1642-1727). He made revolutionary strides in pure mathematics, especially the theory of complex numbers, as well as important contributions to the fields of astronomy, geodesy, and electromagnetism. He showed how probability can be represented by a bell-shaped curve, a concept with major implications in understanding statistics. He was among the first to consider the possibility of a non-Euclidean geometry.

Gauss was born in Brunswick, Germany, the only son of an impoverished bricklayer and his wife. His gifts for mathematics and languages were apparent at an early age. Persistent efforts by impressed teachers and his devoted mother brought him to the attention of the Duke of Brunswick, who arranged financing...