Carl Friedrich Gauss ( pronunciation : ) ( 30 April 30 1777 â `` 23 February 1855 ) was a famous mathematician from GÃ ttingen , Germany . Gauss contributed to many areas of learning . Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss ( 30 April 1777 - 23 February 1855 ) was a German mathematician and scientist who contributed significantly to many fields , including number theory , statistics , analysis , differential geometry , geodesy , geophysics , electrostatics , astronomy and optics .