August Möbius was one of the nineteenth century's most influential mathematicians and astronomers. Written by six distinguished contributors, this book explores the work of Möbius and his fellow-German scholars, in particular the achievements which act as a mirror for the work being undertaken by his contemporaries around the world.

The background to Möbius's life and labours is provided by John Fauvel. Gert Schubring examines the mathematical community in nineteenth-century Germany, while Allan Chapman describes the revolution in astronomy that took place during the period. Jeremy Gray analyses Möbius's contribution to geometrical mechanics and Norman Biggs traces his role in the development of topological ideas. Finally, Ian Stewart explores the legacy Möbius left to mathematics in our own century.