Carl Friedrich Gauss--Easter

Mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss established a mathematical formula to determine the moveable feast--Easter.

In 1800 he set up a formulae to calculate the Easter date. The number of the year J is divided by 19 ; the remainder of this division is denoted by a. Next J is divided by 4, this remainder is denoted by b, and also divided by 7 with remainder denoted by c. Afterwards the remainder of the division of 19a + M by 30 is called d and the remainder of 2b + 4c + 6d + N divided by 7 is called e.

For M and N we must take the following values :

for years 1582 until 1699 : M = 22 and N = 3 ; for years 1700 until 1799 : M = 23 and N = 3 ; for years 1800 until 1899 : M = 23 and N = 4 ; for years 1900 until 2099 : M = 24 and N = 5 ; for years 2100 until 2199 : M = 24 and N = 6

Easter day will be (22 + d + e) March or (d + e - 9) April. Herewith holds that instead of 26 April always 19 April will be taken and instead of 25 April always 18 April if d = 28 and a > 10. Such an exceptional case occurred in 1981 and will occur again in 2049.

Spirit In The Sky

Norman Greenbaum

1969

Carl Friedrich Gauss

The Dance with Death

Det sjunde inseglet

[The Seventh Seal]

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