Karl Wilhelm Theodor Weierstrass was considered one of the greatest mathematical analysts of 19th century Europe. He is well known as a cofounder of the theory of analytic functions and their representation as power series. Weierstrass made crucial contributions to the arithematization of analysis and to the theory of real numbers. He showed the importance of uniform convergence, furthered the understanding of elliptic functions, and made contributions to the field of differential equations. Weierstrass' reputation for high standards of proof and definition is reflected in the modern development of calculusand analysis.

The eldest child of Wilhelm Weierstrass, a customs officer, and Theodora (nee Forst), Weierstrass was born in Ostenfeld, Germany, on October 31, 1815. The family soon moved to Westernkotten in Westphalia, where Weierstrass' three siblings, Peter, Klara, and Elise, were born. Shortly after Elise's birth in 1826, Weierstrass' mother died, and a year later his father remarried. His father, who...