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    $\begingroup$ Indeed. Gauss' Disquisitiones Arithmeticae is arguably the most important and influential text on pure mathematics ever written. Certainly it secured an eternal place for number theory in the esteem of the mathematical community. Gauss was such a juggernaut that I find it easier to think in terms of what he didn't do than what he did: for instance, he did not anticipate Dirichlet's results on L-series and primes in arithmetic progression. Sometimes I have wondered why... $\endgroup$
    – Pete L. Clark
    Commented Mar 26, 2010 at 5:50
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    $\begingroup$ More important and influential than Euclid's elements? $\endgroup$
    – Gerry Myerson
    Commented Oct 20, 2010 at 2:21
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    $\begingroup$ Let us not forget the immortal quote Gauss gave us: The problem of distinguishing prime numbers from composite numbers and of resolving the latter into their prime factors is known to be one of the most important and useful in arithmetic. It has engaged the industry and wisdom of ancient and modern geometers to such an extent that it would be superfluous to discuss the problem at length... Further, the dignity of the science itself seems to require that every possible means be explored for the solution of a problem so elegant and so celebrated. $\endgroup$
    – DavidLHarden
    Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 2:32