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Carl Friedrich Gauss Biography

Carl Friedrich Gauss

Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (/ɡaʊs/; German: Gauß [ɡaʊs] ( listen); Latin: Carolus Fridericus Gauss; 30 April 1777 – 23 February 1855) was a German mathematician who made significant contributions to many fields, including number theory, algebra, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, geophysics, mechanics, electrostatics, magnetic fields, astronomy, matrix theory, and optics.

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Carl Friedrich Gauss Quotes

Less depends upon the choice of words than upon this, that their introduction shall be justified by pregnant theorems.

Choices, Depends, Introduction, Justified

We must admit with humility that, while number is purely a product of our minds, space has a reality outside our minds, so that we cannot completely prescribe its properties a priori.

Admit, Humility, Math, Reality, Space

That this subject [of imaginary magnitudes] has hitherto been considered from the wrong point of view and surrounded by a mysterious obscurity, is to be attributed largely to an ill-adapted notation. If, for example, +1, -1, and the square root of -1 had been called direct, inverse and lateral units, instead of positive, negative and imaginary (or even impossible), such an obscurity would have been out of the question.

Roots, Squares, Views, Obscurity, Wrong, Magnitudes

Ask her to wait a moment I am almost done.

Ask, Done, Funny, Powerful, Wait, Witty

You have no idea, how much poetry there is in the calculation of a table of logarithms!

Calculation, Calculations, Idea, Ideas, Table, Tables

I have the vagary of taking a lively interest in mathematical subjects only where I may anticipate ingenious association of ideas and results recommending themselves by elegance or generality.

Ideas, Ingenious, Mathematical, May, Science, Subjects

In my opinion instruction is very purposeless for such individuals who do no want merely to collect a mass of knowledge, but are mainly interested in exercising (training) their own powers. One doesn't need to grasp such a one by the hand and lead him to the goal, but only from time to time give him suggestions, in order that he may reach it himself in the shortest way.

Education, Exercise, Goal, Grasp, Individuals, Science

It may be true that people who are merely mathematicians have certain specific shortcomings; however that is not the fault of mathematics, but is true of every exclusive occupation. Likewise a mere linguist, a mere jurist, a mere soldier, a mere merchant, and so forth. One could add such idle chatter that when a certain exclusive occupation is often connected with certain specific shortcomings, it is on the other hand always free of certain other shortcomings.

Chatter, Hand, Hands, Jurist, People, Science

To praise it would amount to praising myself. For the entire content of the work. . . coincides almost exactly with my own meditations which have occupied my mind for the past thirty or thirty-five years.

Coincides, Content, Meditation, Past, Praise, Years

The problem of distinguishing prime numbers from composite numbers and of resolving the latter into their prime factors is known to be one of the most important and useful in arithmetic. It has engaged the industry and wisdom of ancient and modern geometers to such an extent that it would be superfluous to discuss the problem at length. . . Further, the dignity of the science itself seems to require that every possible means be explored for the solution of a problem so elegant and so celebrated.

Dignity, Important, Mean, Numbers, Science, Useful

[On Sophie Germain] When a person of the sex which, according to our customs and prejudices, must encounter infinitely more difficulties than men. . . succeeds nevertheless in surmounting these obstacles and penetrating the most obscure parts of [number theory], then without doubt she must have the noblest courage, quite extraordinary talents and superior genius.

Sex, Freedom, Men, Parts, Genius

For three days now this angel, almost too heavenly for earth has been my fiancée. . . Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant colours. Upon his engagement to Johanne Osthof of Brunswick; they married 9 Oct 1805.

Angel, Brunswick, Science, Spring

With a thousand joys I would accept a nonacademic job for which industriousness, accuracy, loyalty, and such are sufficient without specialized knowledge, and which would give a comfortable living and sufficient leisure, in order to sacrifice to my gods [mathematical research]. For example, I hope to get the editting of the census, the birth and death lists in local districts, not as a job, but for my pleasure and satisfaction.

Accept, Birth, Districts, Jobs, Loyalty, Sacrifice

Further, the dignity of the science itself seems to require that every possible means be explored for the solution of a problem so elegant and so celebrated.

Dignity, Elegant, Idaho, Mean, Require

When I have clarified and exhausted a subject, then I turn away from it, in order to go into darkness again.

Clarified, Darkness, Exhausted, Order

Mathematicians stand on each other's shoulders.

Mathematician, Mathematicians, Programming, Shoulders, Stand

As is well known the principle of virtual velocities transforms all statics into a mathematical assignment, and by D'Alembert's principle for dynamics, the latter is again reduced to statics. Although it is is very much in order that in gradual training of science and in the instruction of the individual the easier precedes the more difficult, the simple precedes the more complicated, the special precedes the general, yet the min, once it has arrived at the higher standpoint, demands the reverse process whereby all statics appears only as a very special case of mechanics.

Arrived, Case, Order, Reduced, Science, Simple

In mathematics there are no true controversies.

Controversies, Controversy, Mathematics, True

My young friend, I wish that science would intoxicate you as much as our good Göttingen beer! Upon seeing a student staggering down a street.

Beer, Science, Street, Wish, Young Friends

I have a true aversion to teaching. The perennial business of a professor of mathematics is only to teach the ABC of his science; most of the few pupils who go a step further, and usually to keep the metaphor, remain in the process of gathering information, become only Halbwisser [one who has superficial knowledge of the subject], for the rarer talents do not want to have themselves educated by lecture courses, but train themselves. And with this thankless work the professor loses his precious time.

Education, Pupils, Science, Talents, Teaching

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