Great Mathematicians, Great Mathematics
Gauss and Germain by Professor Raymond Flood. Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) was one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. Possibly his most famous work was his book on number theory, published in 1801. After reading this book, the French mathematicians Sophie Germain (1776-1831) began corresponding with Gauss about Fermat's last theorem, using a male pseudonym.
Subsequently her interests moved to working on a general theory of vibrations of a curved surface which provided the basis for the modern theory of elasticity.
(from gresham.ac.uk)
| Gauss and Germain |
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