GAUSS, gous, KARL FRIEDRICH (1777-1855). A German mathematician, one of the most bril liant mathematicians of modern times. He was born at Brunswick, the son of a day laborer. After three years (1792-95) in the Carolineum at Brunswick, he went to the University of Got tingen, where he remained from 1795 to 1798, devoting all of his attention to mathematics. When at GOttingen he was already in possession of the idea of least squares (see PROBABILITY) , and in March, 1796, he discovered the celebrated proposition that a circle can be divided into seventeen equal arcs by means of elementary geometry, the first extension of the ancient Greek knowledge in this particular. During his uni versity career at Gottingen, he also worked upon his Disquisitiones Arithmeticc (1801, 2d ed. 1889), a treatise which soon brought him into prominence before the scientific world. The Ger man astronomers being unable to locate the planet Ceres, discovered by Piazzi at Palermo, January 1, 1801, Gauss invented a new method for calculating the position of heavenly bodies, and thus enabled Zech (December 3, 1801) and Gibers (December 4, 1801) to rediscover the plan et. His Theoria Motus Corporunt Ccelestium
(1809), vol. vii. of his Werke (1871; German by Haase, Hanover, 1865). completely established his reputation, so that Laplace recognized him as the first mathematician in Europe. The latter part of his life was devoted largely to twobranches of applied mathematics, geodesy and electricity; he measured the meridian from Altona to Got tingen (1821-24), and he may be considered as the founder of the mathematical theory of elec tricity. With Weber lie established telegraphic connection between the magnetic and the astro nomical observatories at Gottingen (1833), and published the Resultate ens den Beobaehtungen des magnetischen Vereins (6 vole.. and the Atlas des Erdmagnetismus (1840). He also wrote on the theory of surfaces, least squares, and other subjects of mathematics, physics, and astronomy. His collected works were published by the Gottingen Academy (vols. i.-vi., Gottingen, 1863-74; vol. vii., Gotha, 1871; 2d ed., 8 vols., Gottingen, 1870-1900). For his life, consult Schering (Gottingen, 1887).