Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Introduction & Top Questions References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Engraving portrait of Carl Friedrich Gauss wearing a cap and formal 19th-century clothing, with detailed shading around his face and upper body.
Why was mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss significant?
Gauss theory of lenses
At a Glance
default image
Carl Friedrich Gauss summary
Quizzes
View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
Astronomy and Space Quiz
Michael Faraday (L) English physicist and chemist (electromagnetism) and John Frederic Daniell (R) British chemist and meteorologist who invented the Daniell cell.
Faces of Science
Equations written on blackboard
Numbers and Mathematics
ball bearing. Disassembled ball bearing. rotational friction Automobile Industry, Engineering, Industry, Machine Part, Metal Industry, Sphere, Steel, Wheel
Inventors and Inventions
Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.
Physics and Natural Law
Related Questions
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Engraving portrait of Carl Friedrich Gauss wearing a cap and formal 19th-century clothing, with detailed shading around his face and upper body.
Carl Friedrich Gauss

Carl Friedrich Gauss

German mathematician
Also known as: Johann Friedrich Carl Gauss
Written by
Jeremy John Gray
Emeritus Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Open University. Author of Plato's Ghost; Henri Poincaré: A Scientific Biography; Ideas of Space; and others.
Jeremy John Gray
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Carl Friedrich Gauss (born April 30, 1777, Brunswick [Germany]—died February 23, 1855, Göttingen, Hanover) was a German mathematician, generally regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time for his contributions to number theory, geometry, probability theory, geodesy, planetary astronomy, the theory of functions, and potential theory (including electromagnetism). Gauss was the only child of poor parents. He was rare among mathematicians in that he was a calculating prodigy, and he retained the ability...

Discover the world with Britannica

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content
Explore Subscriptions
DNA
Right
Mobile