RePoSS #11: The Mathematics of Niels Henrik Abel: Continuation ...

34 Chapter 2. Biography of NIELS HENRIK ABEL
as long as possible, and as I gather there is no other place in Germany where I
would be better off. There is certainly a good library in Göttingen, but that is about
all because Gauss who is the only capable one there is completely inapproachable.
However, I must go to Göttingen.” 55
ABEL’S devotion toward CRELLE and the Journal für die reine und angewandte Ma-
thematik seems to overpower his ambition and obligation to go to Göttingen in accord
with the stipend. A month later, a further reservation was expressed in a letter to
HOLMBOE, where ABEL referred to the personality of the great GAUSS:
“I am probably going to remain here in Berlin until the end of February or
March; then I will travel via Leipzig and Halle to Göttingen, not to see Gauss because
he is said to be intolerably reserved, but for the library which is apparently
excellent.” 56
The reservation concerning GAUSS was communicated to HANSTEEN a fortnight
later, in a letter in which ABEL outlined his plans to accompany CRELLE on a trip to
Göttingen. Furthermore, ABEL had already his eyes firmly set on Paris; he wrote the
following to HANSTEEN after describing how he planed to go to Leipzig and Freiburg
with one of his Norwegian friends:
“Then I [will] travel back to Berlin in order to join Crelle on the tour to Göttingen
and the Rhine area. In Göttingen, I shall only stay for a short period of time
as there is nothing to be gained. Gauss is unapproachable and the library cannot
possibly be better than those in Paris.” 57
ABEL’S impression that GAUSS was not easily accessible seems to have been in-
spired by rumors nourished in Berlin at the time. With his few but ripe policy concern-
ing publications, GAUSS’ image was largely built from his network of corresponding
mathematicians. Modern biographers of GAUSS use the published correspondence
with e.g. the F. BOLYAI (1775–1856) s, ABEL, and others to support the picture of
the great mathematician as remote and even hostile. However, these events were
only taking place, and the letters were not publicly known in the 1820s. The Berlin
mathematicians certainly held GAUSS’ mathematics in high respect but thought less
of the master’s personal qualities and openness. HUMBOLDT had — with the help of
CRELLE — tried to call GAUSS to the Berlin polytechnic and later the university, but
GAUSS had declined all such offers and remained in Göttingen.
55 “Mit Vinterquarteer kommer jeg til at holde her i Berlin og jeg er endnu ikke ganske enig med mig
selv naar jeg skal reise herfra. For Crelles og Journalens Skyld vilde jeg gjerne være her saalænge
som muelig og eftersom jeg hører er der vel intet andet Sted i Tyskland som vil være mig gavnligere.
Göttingen har rigtignok et godt Bibliothek, men det er ogsaa det eneste; thi Gauss som er
den eneste der der kan noget, er aldeles ikke tilgjængelig. Dog til Göttingen maae jeg det forstaaer
sig.” (Abel→Hansteen, Berlin, 1825/12/05. N. H. Abel, 1902a, 12).
56 “Jeg kommer formodentlig til at blive her i Berlin til Enden af Februar eller Marts, og reiser da
over Leipzig og Halle til Göttingen (ikke for Gauss Skyld, thi han skal være utaalelig stolt men for
Bibliothekets Skyld som skal være fortræffeligt).” (Abel→Holmboe, 1826/01/16. ibid., 18).
57 “Siden reiser jeg tilbage til Berlin for i Følge med Crelle at tage Touren til Göttingen og Rhin-Egnene.
I Göttingen bliver jeg kun kort da der ikke er noget at hole. Gauss er utilgjængelig og Bibliotheket
kan ikke være bedre end i Paris.” (Abel→Hansteen, Berlin, [1826]/01/30. ibid., 20).