Gauss, << gows >> Carl Friedrich << FREE drihk >> (1777-1855), was a German mathematician. His ideas had enormous influence in nearly all areas of mathematics. As a result, he is sometimes called the “prince of mathematics.”
Gauss proved the fundamental theorem of algebra, which states that certain algebraic equations called polynomial equations have at least one root. He also fully proved the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, which states that every whole number greater than 1 can be written as a unique product of prime numbers. A prime number, such as 3, 7, or 19, is a whole number greater than 1 that can be divided without a remainder only by itself and 1. The ancient Greek mathematician Euclid proved the fundamental theorem of arithmetic about 300 B.C. But Gauss’s proof was more rigorous. Gauss also helped bring about the acceptance of imaginary numbers (the square roots of negative numbers).
Gauss was born on April 30, 1777, in Brunswick. He attended the University of Gottingen. He later became a professor there and director of the Gottingen Observatory. Gauss contributed to the mathematical theory of electromagnetism. His contributions to astronomy included calculating the orbit of Ceres, the first object discovered in what is now known as the Main Belt of asteroids. He died on Feb. 23, 1855.
