Mathematics is the queen of science, and number theory is the queen of mathematics. ——Gauss

Extended reading

Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss, April 30, 1777-February 23, 1855) Germany Famous mathematician, physicist, astronomer and geodesist. One of the founders of modern mathematics, Gauss is considered one of the most important mathematicians in history and is known as the "Prince of Mathematics". Gauss, Archimedes and Newton are ranked as the world's three greatest mathematicians. He had extremely rich achievements in his life. There are 110 achievements named after him "Gauss", which is the most among mathematicians. He made contributions to number theory, algebra, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, geophysics, mechanics, electrostatics, astronomy, matrix theory and optics.

Biography

Family background

Gauss was the only son of a poor Prussian Jewish couple. The mother was the daughter of a poor mason. Although she was very smart, she had no education. Before she became the second wife of Gauss's father, she worked as a maid. His father worked as a gardener, foreman, businessman's assistant and appraiser for a small insurance company.

It is an anecdote that Gauss was able to correct his father's debt accounts when he was only three years old. He once said that he learned calculations on Mai Xian Weng Dui. The ability to perform complex calculations in his head was a God-given gift throughout his life.

His father, Gerchild Didrich, had extremely strict requirements on Gauss, even a little too much. Gauss respected his father and inherited his father's honest and cautious character. Gauss was fortunate to have a mother who fully supported his success. From birth, Gauss was very curious about all phenomena and things, and was determined to get to the bottom of it, which was beyond the scope of what a child could allow. When her husband reprimanded her children for this, she always supported Gauss and firmly opposed her stubborn husband who wanted to make his son as ignorant as himself.

Growing up, the young Gauss mainly relied on his mother Luo Tieya and uncle Friederich. Friedrich was wise, enthusiastic, smart and capable, and he devoted himself to the textile trade and made great achievements. He found that his sister's son was smart, so he spent part of his energy on this little genius and developed Gauss's intelligence in a lively way.

A few years later, Gauss, who had grown up and achieved great success, recalled everything his uncle had done for him, and deeply felt the importance of his success. Thinking of his uncle's prolific thoughts, he said sadly, "We lost a genius" with his uncle's death. It was precisely because Friedrich had a keen eye for talents and often persuaded his brother-in-law to let his children develop into scholars that Gauss did not become a gardener or a mason.

Luo Jieya really hopes that her son can do a great career and cherishes Gauss's talent very much. However, she did not dare to easily let her son devote himself to mathematics research that could not support the family. When Gauss was 19 years old, although he had already made many great achievements