Caspar Wessel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 June 1745 Vestby, Denmark–Norway (now Norway) |
| Died | 25 March 1818 (aged 72) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Nationality | Danish–Norwegian |
| Alma mater | University of Copenhagen |
| Known for | Complex numbers Complex plane Vectors |
| Partner | Cathrine Elisabeth Brinck f. Müller |
| Awards | Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
Caspar Wessel (8 June 1745 – 25 March 1818) was a Danish–Norwegian mathematician and cartographer. In 1799, Wessel was the first person to describe the geometrical interpretation of complex numbers as points in the complex plane and vectors.[1]