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Otto Hesse worked on the development of the theory algebraic functions and the theory of invariants. He is remembered particularly for introducing the Hessian determinant.
Hesse studied under Jacobi at Königsberg and spent a while as a teacher of physics and chemistry before he graduated from Königsberg in 1840.
Hesse then became a lecturer at Königsberg and spent 16 years there publishing his work in Crelle's Journal. In 1856 he was appointed to Heidelberg and remained there until 1868 when he took up a post at Munich.
Hesse's main work was in the development of the theory algebraic functions and the theory of invariants. He introduced the Hessian determinant in a paper in 1842 during an investigation of cubic and quadratic curves.
His work was influenced by Steiner, particularly work he did on the geometrical interpretation of algebraic transformations.
Hesse worked on some topics that Cayley was also working on and both produced a theory of homogeneous forms which they published at the same time.
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