Carl Friedrich Gauss

Carl Friedrich Gauss

Born: 30^th April, 1777, Braunschweig, Germany
Died: 23^rd February, 1855, Göttingen, Germany
Awards: Copley Medal
Education: University of Helmstedt, University of Göttingen, Braunschweig University of Technology

Carl Friedrich Gauss, a German mathematician who contributed significantly in many fields, including number theory, statistics, algebra, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, mechanics, electrostatics, geophysics, astronomy, matrix theory, and optics.

Gauss proved the fundamental theorem of algebra which states that every non-constant single-variable polynomial with complex coefficients has at least one complex root.

Gauss also made important contributions to number theory with his 1801 book which, among other things, introduced the symbol ≡ for congruence.

Gauss proved the following mathematical theorems:

·         Fermat polygonal number theorem for n = 3

·         Fermat's last theorem for n = 5

·         Descartes's rule of signs

·         Kepler conjecture for regular arrangements

Gauss also claimed to have discovered the possibility of non-Euclidean geometries but never published it. This discovery was a major paradigm shift in mathematics, as it freed mathematicians from the mistaken belief that Euclid's axioms were the only way to make geometry consistent and non-contradictory.

In 1831, with the physics professor Wilhelm Weber, Gauss developed a new knowledge in magnetism (including finding a representation for the unit of magnetism in terms of mass, charge, and time) and the discovery of Kirchhoff's circuit laws in electricity.