Riemann was born on September 17, 1826 at Breselenz, Hanover, Germany, the son of a Lutheran minister. He demonstrated a remarkable talent for mathematics at an early age. While still a child, he is said to have tried to demonstrate the validity of the stories contained in the Book of Genesis by mathematical means. When Riemann enrolled at Göttingen in 1846, he planned to study theology and philology. However, he also attended course in and eventually asked for his father's permission to concentrate on the field he loved most, mathematics. He stayed at Göttingen for only one year before transferring to the University of Berlin, which had a stronger program in mathematics than did Göttingen. In 1849 he returned to Göttingen, however, and eventually received his Ph.D. degree there two years later. His thesis dealt with the theory of complex functions.

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