Philipp Ludwig von Seidel
German mathematician, optician and astronomer
About Philipp Ludwig von Seidel
Lived 1821 – 1896 (aged 74). Philipp Ludwig von Seidel was a German mathematician, astronomer, university teacher, scientist and optician.
Philipp Ludwig von Seidel (; 24 October 1821 in Zweibrücken, Germany – 13 August 1896 in Munich, German Empire) was a German mathematician. He was the son of Julie Reinhold and Justus Christian Felix Seidel.
Philosopher & math theorist Imre Lakatos credits von Seidel with discovering, in 1847, the crucial analytic concept of uniform convergence, while analyzing an incorrect proof put forth earlier by Augustin-Louis Cauchy.
In 1857, von Seidel contributed to the field of optics when he decomposed the first order monochromatic aberrations into five constituent aberrations. They are now commonly referred to as the five Seidel Aberrations.
The lunar crater Seidel is named after him. His doctoral students include Eduard Study and Hermann Wiener.
The Gauss–Seidel method is a useful numerical iterative method for solving linear systems.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Philipp Ludwig von Seidel?
German mathematician, optician and astronomer (1821-1896)
When was Philipp Ludwig von Seidel born?
Philipp Ludwig von Seidel was born on 24 October 1821 in Zweibrücken.
When did Philipp Ludwig von Seidel die?
Philipp Ludwig von Seidel died on 13 August 1896 in Munich.
What was Philipp Ludwig von Seidel's occupation?
Philipp Ludwig von Seidel was a mathematician, astronomer, university teacher, scientist and optician.
What nationality was Philipp Ludwig von Seidel?
Philipp Ludwig von Seidel was German.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Philipp Ludwig von Seidel
· DBpedia: Philipp Ludwig von Seidel
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Philipp Ludwig von Seidel. https://biography.guide/philipp-ludwig-von-seidel/
MLA: "Philipp Ludwig von Seidel." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/philipp-ludwig-von-seidel/.
Chicago: "Philipp Ludwig von Seidel." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/philipp-ludwig-von-seidel/.
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