Karl Friedrich Gauss. Coloured historical engraving of the German mathematician Karl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855). He is seen here as a young man. Gauss was a child prodigy from a poor family, his education was paid for by the Duke of Brunswick. He contributed to all areas of mathematics. The value of much of his work was only realised after his death. Some of his genius was recognised during his lifetime when, in 1801, he won fame by calculating the orbit of Ceres. This led to the rediscovery of the asteroid. In 1807, Gauss was appointed professor of mathematics and observatory director at Gottengen, Germany. Engraving by S. Benixen (1828)