Some direct and remote relations of Gauss with Belgian mathematicians

DOI10.1365/S13291-010-0002-7MaRDI QIDQ613105zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Jean Mawhin

Publication date 17 December 2010

Published in Jahresbericht der Deutschen Mathematiker-Vereinigung (DMV) (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1365/s13291-010-0002-7

zbMATH Keywords

bell-shaped curvede La Vallée PoussinGaussprime number theoremQuetelet

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 19th century (01A55) History of mathematics in the 20th century (01A60) History of mathematics at institutions and academies (non-university) (01A74)

Review text

The author was professor at Louvain; he therefore has great interest in Gauss's relationship to Belgian mathematicians. The number one is Adolph Quetelet (1796--1874), who was in correspondence with Gauss. Both scientists shared great interest in terrestrial magnetism and in statistics. In 1834 Quetelet became permanent secretary of the Royal Academy of Brussels and in 1841 Gauss became a corresponding member. As far as statistics is concerned it was Quetelet who contributed very much to popularize Gauss's curve, which was later called the bell-shaped curve. The last two chapters are devoted to Belgian mathematician Charles Jean de La Vallée Poussin (1866--1962), who was able to present the first proof of Gauss's prime number theorem in 1896, about hundred years after Gauss's suggestion. But La Vallée Poussin also contributed to potential theory, which was also a research field of Gauss. The author suggests that Gauss's idea to publish only perfect research results ist not fruitful. Although the speculations, however, inspire the imagination of future scientists. So the author asserts that ``Gauss' legacy has been and will remain an invaluable treasure for generations of mathematicians.

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Cited in

(3)

• Quetelet and Dandelin of Brussels
• Cauchy and Gauß. Cauchy's reception in connection with Gauß
• Frankreich und Gauß, Gauß und Frankreich Ein Beitrag zu den deutsch‐französischen Wissenschaftsbeziehungen in den ersten Jahrzehnten des 19. Jahrhunderts

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