Clausen

Thomas Clausen

Born: 16 Jan 1801 in Snogebaek, Denmark
Died: 23 May 1885 in Dorpat (now Tartu), Estonia

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Thomas Clausen calculated the orbits of comets. He also factored the 6th Fermat number 2^n+1 where n=2^6 in 1854 showing it was not prime. The first to show that not all the Fermat numbers were prime was Euler in 1732 when he showed that 2^n+1 where n=2^5 was not prime.

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. K R Biermann, Thomas Clausen, Mathematiker und Astronom, J. für die reine und angewandte Mathematik 216 (1964), 159-198.
  3. K R Biermann, Genie ohne Chance : Thomas Clausen, Joseph von Fraunhofers designierter Nachfolger, Kultur und Technik 3 (1991), 42-45. 
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JOC/EFR February 1996