Carl Friedrich Gauss

Developed least squares and the normal distribution that underpins regression.

Biography

A German mathematician whose work spans number theory, geometry, astronomy, and statistics. He applied the method of least squares to astronomical prediction, and his treatment of observational error established the normal distribution as the standard model for measurement noise.

Key contributions

• Systematic development and application of the method of least squares.
• The normal (Gaussian) distribution as a model of observational error.
• Foundational results across number theory and differential geometry.

Impact

Least squares remains the default fitting criterion for linear regression, and the normal error assumption is what makes ordinary least squares coincide with maximum likelihood estimation.