Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet was born in 1805, the son of the town postmaster of Düren (then part of the French empire). He was initially educated at public schools, then at a private school which stressed Latin. Interest in mathematics surfaced early for Dirichlet and by age 12 he was purchasing mathematics textbooks. Dirichlet enrolled at Bonn's Gymnasium in 1817, where he showed great interest in mathematics and history.

Two years later, Dirichlet's parents sent him to a Jesuit college in Cologne. He was a student of physicist George Simon Ohm, under whom he received thorough training in theoretical physics. At the young age of 16, Dirichlet completed his Abitur examination. His parents wanted him to study law, but he was already well on his way in the field of mathematics.

Other than Karl Gauss, Germany, at that time, had no notable mathematicians. Paris, on the other hand, boasted...