Elwin Bruno Christoffel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 10 November 1829 |
| Died | 15 March 1900 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | University of Berlin |
| Known for | Christoffel symbols Christoffel equation Christoffel–Darboux formula Riemann–Christoffel tensor Schwarz–Christoffel mapping |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics Physics |
| Institutions | University of Strasbourg |
| Doctoral advisors | Martin Ohm Ernst Kummer Heinrich Gustav Magnus |
| Doctoral students | Rikitaro Fujisawa Ludwig Maurer Paul Epstein |
Elwin Bruno Christoffel (German: [kʁɪˈstɔfl̩]; 10 November 1829 – 15 March 1900) was a German mathematician and physicist. He introduced fundamental concepts of differential geometry, opening the way for the development of tensor calculus, which would later provide the mathematical basis for general relativity.