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 (26,227 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 is identified as part of the Germans ethnic group^[22].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's professions included mathematician^[4].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's professions included geophysicist^[5].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss worked as an 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^[23].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was number theory^[24].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was algebra^[25].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was mathematical analysis^[26].
• Carl Friedrich Gauss's field of work was differential geometry^[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]. He is identified as part of the Germans ethnic group^[22].

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^[23]. Fields of work include number theory^[24], a branch of mathematics^[42]; algebra^[25], a branch of mathematics^[43]; mathematical analysis^[26], an academic discipline^[44]; differential geometry^[27], a branch of mathematics^[45]; electrostatics^[46], a branch of physics^[47]; and optics^[48], a branch of physics^[49]. Among Carl Friedrich Gauss's employers was University of Göttingen^[50]. Doctoral students include Friedrich Bessel^[51], Richard Dedekind^[52], Bernhard Riemann^[53], Heinrich Christian Schumacher^[54], Christian Ludwig Gerling^[55], and Johann Benedict Listing^[56].

Recognition

Awards received include Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order^[57], Fellow of the Royal Society^[58], Copley Medal^[59], Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art^[60], Lalande Prize^[61], and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences^[62].

Personal Life

Spouses include Friederica Wilhelmine Waldeck^[13], 1788–1831^[63] and Johanna Osthoff^[14], 1780–1809^[64]. Children include Eugene Gauss^[15], an entrepreneur^[65], 1811–1896^[66]; Joseph Gauß^[16], a surveyor^[67], 1806–1873^[68]; Wilhelmine Gauss^[17], 1808–1840^[69]; Therese Gauss^[18], 1816–1864^[70]; and Charles William Gauss^[19], a farmer^[71], 1813–1879^[72].

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^[73], Gaussian function^[74], Gaussian elimination^[75], Gauss's law^[76], divergence theorem^[77], Gaussian integral^[78], fundamental theorem of algebra^[79], and Gaussian beam^[80].

Why It Matters

Carl Friedrich Gauss ranks in the top 0.5% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (26,227 views/month, #4,960 of 1,000,298).^[9] He has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.^[81] He is known by 59 alternative names across languages and contexts.^[82]

He has been cited as an influence by Joseph Bertrand^[83], a mathematician^[84], 1822–1900^[85], of France^[86], awarded the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour^[87], specialised in probability theory^[88]; Benjamin Apthorp Gould^[89], an astronomer^[90], 1824–1896^[91], of United States^[92], awarded the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order^[93], specialised in astronomy^[94]; Enno Dirksen^[95], a mathematician^[96], 1792–1850^[97], specialised in mathematics^[98]; Karl Georg Christian von Staudt^[99], a mathematician^[100], 1798–1867^[101], of Kingdom of Bavaria^[102], specialised in geometry^[103]; and Ferdinand Minding^[104], a mathematician^[105], 1806–1885^[106], of Russian Empire^[107], awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class^[108], specialised in differential geometry^[109].

He is credited with the discovery of least squares method^[110], a scientific method^[111]; ordinary least squares^[112], a least squares method^[113]; discrete logarithm^[114], a Wikimedia article covering multiple topics^[115]; Gaussian gravitational constant^[116]; Gauss's principle of least constraint^[117]; and Landen's transformation^[118]. Works attributed to him include Disquisitiones Arithmeticae^[119] and Gauss's Easter algorithm^[120]. Entities named for him include normal distribution^[73], Gaussian function^[74], Gaussian elimination^[75], Gauss's law^[76], divergence theorem^[77], and Gaussian integral^[78].

His notable doctoral advisees include Bernhard Riemann^[121], Sophie Germain^[122], Richard Dedekind^[123], Friedrich Bessel^[124], Johann Benedict Listing^[125], and Johann Franz Encke^[126].

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^[57], Fellow of the Royal Society^[58], Copley Medal^[59], and Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art^[60].

Who did Carl Friedrich Gauss influence?

Carl Friedrich Gauss has been cited as an influence by Joseph Bertrand^[83], Benjamin Apthorp Gould^[89], Enno Dirksen^[95], and Karl Georg Christian von Staudt^[99].

What did Carl Friedrich Gauss discover?

Carl Friedrich Gauss is credited as discoverer of least squares method^[110], ordinary least squares^[112], discrete logarithm^[114], and Gaussian gravitational constant^[116].