Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (30 April 1777 - 23 February 1855) was a German mathematician who contributed significantly to many fields; including number theory; algebra; statistics; analysis; differential geometry; geodesy; geophysics; mechanics; electrostatics; astronomy; matrix theory; and optics.

Sometimes referred to as the Princeps mathematicorum (Latin; 'the foremost of mathematicians') and the 'greatest mathematician since antiquity'; Gauss had an exceptional influence in many fields of mathematics and science and is ranked as one of history's most influential mathematicians.