Carl Friedrich Gauss

Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician who lived from 1777 to 1855. He is often called the prince of mathematics because he made so many important discoveries. He showed amazing math talent even as a small child.

A Child Prodigy

When Gauss was just 7 years old, his teacher asked the class to add all the numbers from 1 to 100. The teacher expected it to take a long time. Gauss found the answer in seconds.

He noticed that 1 + 100 = 101, 2 + 99 = 101, 3 + 98 = 101, and so on. There are 50 such pairs, so the answer is 50 times 101, which is 5,050. His trick is still taught in math classes today.

A Lifetime of Discoveries

Gauss made discoveries in many areas of math. He worked on number theory, algebra, statistics, and geometry. He also studied magnets and electricity.

He proved the fundamental theorem of algebra, which says every polynomial equation has a solution. He was a perfectionist who only published work he thought was completely finished.

Fun Facts

• Gauss kept a diary of his math discoveries, and it was found after he died.
• The bell curve used in statistics is sometimes called a Gaussian curve in his honor.
• Gauss could do difficult calculations in his head and often amazed his colleagues.

Did You Know?

Gauss once corrected his father's payroll calculations when he was only 3 years old. His father was amazed that such a young child could spot a math error!