Carl Friedrich Gauss

It’s the birthday of Carl Friedrich Gauss, who was born in 1777 in Brunswick, Germany. Gauss’s mathematical talent was recognized early. The Duke of Brunswick sponsored his education at the University of Göttingen, where as a student he made several discoveries in number theory and geometry. Gauss’s research interests extended far beyond pure mathematics. He developed techniques to predict planetary orbits, invented an optical surveying instrument, measured Earth’s magnetic field and developed geometric optics. When it came to publication, Gauss was a perfectionist. In a letter to the astronomer Heinrich Olbers he wrote: “I mean the word proof not in the sense of the lawyers, who set two half proofs equal to a whole one, but in the sense of a mathematician, where ½ proof = 0, and it is demanded for proof that every doubt becomes impossible.”

Date in History: 30 April 1777