...Gauss is one of the most important mathematicians who ever lived. The gaussian distribution is the single most important random distribution there is. The standard 2d coordinate system is often also referred to as the gaussian plane. I'm guessing more men know him due to this reason: more men are in STEM.
>The standard 2d coordinate system is often also referred to as the gaussian plane
Hmm, never heard of this. I wonder what are the reasons, Gauss really had nothing to do with coordinate systems. Even the complex numbers link is due to Euler, De Moivre and many many people before Gauss.
I have a half-joking hypothesis it's due to Germans not wanting to attribute things to a french mathematician, but that still doesn't explain why they went with Gauss and not Euler.
I remember growing up and thinking that Gauss showed up all time, everywhere:
Gauss's law, Gaussian elimination, Gaussian distribution, Gauss formula, Gaussian filter, CRT degauss, Gauss cannon.
Those are the ones I remember, and I went into CS, I don't want to imagine how it was in math.
