| Gerhard Hessenberg | |
| Birth Date: | 16 August 1874 |
| Birth Place: | Frankfurt |
| Death Place: | Berlin |
| Nationality: | German |
| Fields: | Mathematics |
| Workplaces: | University of Breslau |
| Alma Mater: | University of Berlin |
| Thesis Title: | Über die Invarianten linearer und quadratischer binärer Differentialformen und ihre Anwendung auf die Deformation der Flächen |
| Thesis Year: | 1899 |
| Doctoral Advisor: | Hermann Schwarz Lazarus Fuchs |
| Known For: | Hessenberg sum and product |
Gerhard Hessenberg (pronounced as /de/; 16 August 1874 – 16 November 1925) was a German mathematician who worked in projective geometry, differential geometry, and set theory.
Hessenberg received his Ph.D. from the University of Berlin in 1899 under the guidance of Hermann Schwarz and Lazarus Fuchs.
His name is usually associated with projective geometry, where he is known for proving that Desargues' theorem is a consequence of Pappus's hexagon theorem,[1] and differential geometry where he is known for introducing the concept of a connection.[2] [3] He was also a set theorist: the Hessenberg sum and product of ordinals are named after him. However, Hessenberg matrices are named for Karl Hessenberg, a near relative.
In 1908 Gerhard Hessenberg was an Invited Speaker of the International Congress of Mathematicians in Rome.[4]