From the determination of planetary orbits to modern statistics: Carl Friedrich Gauß\ -- work and impact

DOI10.1007/S00591-005-0104-YMaRDI QIDQ2500799zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Ulrich Krengel

Publication date 18 August 2006

Published in Mathematische Semesterberichte (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s00591-005-0104-y

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 19th century (01A55)

Review text

This is an essay on Gauss' decisive role in the discovery and development of the method of least squares with a short description of further pertinent events from Laplace to modern findings. The author believes that Gauss was the first who ``die eingangs gegebene Begriffsbestimmung des mathematischen Statistikers voll erfüllte. He does not refer to my much more detailed papers. Discovery of the principle of least squares [``Hist. Scientiarum 8, 249--164 (1999; Zbl 0977.01015)] and ``Gauß\ and the method of least squares [Jbuch Nationalökonomie Statistik 219, 458--467 (1999)] and some of his statements should be commented upon. Thus, it is doubtful that Gauss knew De Moivre's derivation of the normal law and Laplace had not at all proved (several versions of) the central limit theorem rigorously. Finally, the author refers to S. M. Stigler but passes over in silence his dreadful and slandering accusations such as ``Gauss solicited reluctant testimony from friends that he had told them of the method (of least squares) before 1805, see his ``History of Statistics. Cambridge MA, 1986 (not 1981 as cited by the author), Belknap Press, p. 145.

Recommendations

• Commemoration of the bicentennial of the publication (1805--1806) of the least squares method by Adrien Marie Legendre
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1326928
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4200155
• Classic topics on the history of modern mathematical statistics. From Laplace to more recent times
• Gauss on least-squares and maximum-likelihood estimation
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3908374
• The central limit theorem around 1935
• A history of parametric statistical inference from Bernoulli to Fisher, 1713--1935
• Gauss et la méthode des moindres carrés

Cites work

• Asymptotic Statistics
• Gauss and the invention of least squares
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3945130 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4072104 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1019622 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 781820 (Why is no real title available?)
• On Gauss' priority in the discovery of the method of least squares
• On matters having to do with the ``Theoria motus. Gauß' correspondence with Perthes, Laplace, Delambre and Legendre
• The method of Gauss in 1799

Cited in

(1)

• Gauss on least-squares and maximum-likelihood estimation

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