Carl Friedrich Gauss

Summary

Carl Friedrich Gauss is a human^[1]. He was born in Brunswick^[2]. He died in Göttingen^[3]. He worked as a mathematician^[4], geophysicist^[5], astronomer^[6], science writer^[7], and physicist^[8]. He ranks in the top 0.5% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (10,160 views/month, #4,960 of 1,000,298).^[9]

Key Facts

• Carl Friedrich Gauss was born in Brunswick^[2].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss passed away in Göttingen^[3].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss is buried at Albanifriedhof^[10].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's father was Gebhard Dietrich Gauss^[11].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's mother was Dorthea Benze^[12].
• Among Carl Friedrich Gauss's spouses was Friederica Wilhelmine Waldeck^[13].
• Among Carl Friedrich Gauss's spouses was Johanna Osthoff^[14].
• A child of Carl Friedrich Gauss was Eugene Gauss^[15].
• A child of Carl Friedrich Gauss was Joseph Gauß^[16].
• A child of Carl Friedrich Gauss was Wilhelmine Gauss^[17].
• A child of Carl Friedrich Gauss was Therese Gauss^[18].
• A child of Carl Friedrich Gauss was Charles William Gauss^[19].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss held citizenship in Confederation of the Rhine^[20].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss held citizenship in Kingdom of Hanover^[21].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's professions included mathematician^[4].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's professions included geophysicist^[5].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's professions included astronomer^[6].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss worked as a science writer^[7].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss worked as a physicist^[8].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss worked as a surveyor^[22].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was number theory^[23].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was algebra^[24].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was mathematical analysis^[25].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was differential geometry^[26].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was electrostatics^[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Carl Friedrich Gauss was born in Brunswick^[2]. His father was Gebhard Dietrich Gauss^[11]. His mother was Dorthea Benze^[12].

Education

Educated at University of Helmstedt^[28], a university^[29], in Germany^[30], founded in 1576^[31]; University of Göttingen^[32], a campus university^[33], in Germany^[34], founded in 1734^[35], headquartered in Göttingen^[36]; and Collegium Carolinum^[37], a school^[38], in Holy Roman Empire^[39], founded in 1745^[40]. Carl Friedrich Gauss's doctoral advisor was Johann Friedrich Pfaff^[41].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include mathematician^[4], geophysicist^[5], astronomer^[6], science writer^[7], physicist^[8], and surveyor^[22]. Fields of work include number theory^[23], a branch of mathematics^[42]; algebra^[24], a branch of mathematics^[43]; mathematical analysis^[25], an academic discipline^[44]; differential geometry^[26], a branch of mathematics^[45]; electrostatics^[27], a branch of physics^[46]; and optics^[47], a branch of physics^[48]. Among Carl Friedrich Gauss's employers was University of Göttingen^[49]. Doctoral students include Friedrich Bessel^[50], Richard Dedekind^[51], Bernhard Riemann^[52], Heinrich Christian Schumacher^[53], Christian Ludwig Gerling^[54], and Johann Benedict Listing^[55].

Recognition

Awards received include Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order^[56], Fellow of the Royal Society^[57], Copley Medal^[58], Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art^[59], Lalande Prize^[60], and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences^[61].

Personal Life

Spouses include Friederica Wilhelmine Waldeck^[13], 1788–1831^[62] and Johanna Osthoff^[14], 1780–1809^[63]. Children include Eugene Gauss^[15], an entrepreneur^[64], 1811–1896^[65]; Joseph Gauß^[16], a surveyor^[66], 1806–1873^[67]; Wilhelmine Gauss^[17], 1808–1840^[68]; Therese Gauss^[18], 1816–1864^[69]; and Charles William Gauss^[19], a farmer^[70], 1813–1879^[71].

Death and Burial

Carl Friedrich Gauss passed away in Göttingen^[3]. Burial took place at Albanifriedhof^[10].

Works and Contributions

Things named for Carl Friedrich Gauss include normal distribution^[72], Gaussian integral^[73], divergence theorem^[74], fundamental theorem of algebra^[75], Gauss's law^[76], Gaussian process^[77], Gaussian elimination^[78], and shoelace formula^[79].

Why It Matters

Carl Friedrich Gauss ranks in the top 0.5% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (10,160 views/month, #4,960 of 1,000,298).^[9] He has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.^[80] He is known by 46 alternative names across languages and contexts.^[81]

He has been cited as an influence by Joseph Bertrand^[82], a mathematician^[83], 1822–1900^[84], of France^[85], awarded the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour^[86], specialised in probability theory^[87]; Benjamin Apthorp Gould^[88], an astronomer^[89], 1824–1896^[90], of United States^[91], awarded the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order^[92], specialised in astronomy^[93]; Karl Georg Christian von Staudt^[94], a mathematician^[95], 1798–1867^[96], of Kingdom of Bavaria^[97], specialised in geometry^[98]; Ferdinand Minding^[99], a mathematician^[100], 1806–1885^[101], of Russian Empire^[102], awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class^[103], specialised in differential geometry^[104]; and Enno Dirksen^[105], a mathematician^[106], 1792–1850^[107], specialised in mathematics^[108].

He is credited with the discovery of ordinary least squares^[109], a least squares method^[110]; least squares method^[111], a scientific method^[112]; discrete logarithm^[113], a Wikimedia article covering multiple topics^[114]; Gaussian gravitational constant^[115]; Gauss's principle of least constraint^[116]; and Landen's transformation^[117]. Works attributed to him include Disquisitiones Arithmeticae^[118] and Gauss's Easter algorithm^[119]. Entities named for him include normal distribution^[72], Gaussian integral^[73], divergence theorem^[74], fundamental theorem of algebra^[75], Gauss's law^[76], and Gaussian process^[77].

His notable doctoral advisees include Bernhard Riemann^[120], Richard Dedekind^[121], Sophie Germain^[122], Friedrich Bessel^[123], Johann Benedict Listing^[124], and Christian Ludwig Gerling^[125].

FAQs

Where was Carl Friedrich Gauss born?

Carl Friedrich Gauss's place of birth was Brunswick^[2].

Where did Carl Friedrich Gauss die?

Carl Friedrich Gauss died in Göttingen^[3].

Who were Carl Friedrich Gauss's parents?

Carl Friedrich Gauss's father was Gebhard Dietrich Gauss^[11]. Carl Friedrich Gauss's mother was Dorthea Benze^[12].

Who was Carl Friedrich Gauss married to?

Carl Friedrich Gauss's spouses include Friederica Wilhelmine Waldeck^[13] and Johanna Osthoff^[14].

What did Carl Friedrich Gauss do for work?

Carl Friedrich Gauss worked as mathematician^[4], geophysicist^[5], astronomer^[6], science writer^[7], and physicist^[8].

Where did Carl Friedrich Gauss go to school?

Carl Friedrich Gauss was educated at University of Helmstedt^[28], University of Göttingen^[32], and Collegium Carolinum^[37].

What awards did Carl Friedrich Gauss receive?

Honors received include Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order^[56], Fellow of the Royal Society^[57], Copley Medal^[58], and Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art^[59].

Who did Carl Friedrich Gauss influence?

Carl Friedrich Gauss has been cited as an influence by Joseph Bertrand^[82], Benjamin Apthorp Gould^[88], Karl Georg Christian von Staudt^[94], and Ferdinand Minding^[99].

What did Carl Friedrich Gauss discover?

Carl Friedrich Gauss is credited as discoverer of ordinary least squares^[109], least squares method^[111], discrete logarithm^[113], and Gaussian gravitational constant^[115].