Gustav Fechner

Gustav Fechner
Born
Gustav Theodor Fechner

(1801-04-19)19 April 1801
Died18 November 1887(1887-11-18) (aged 86)
EducationMedizinische Akademie Carl Gustav Carus
Leipzig University (PhD, 1835)
Known forWeber–Fechner law
Scientific career
FieldsExperimental psychology
InstitutionsLeipzig University
ThesisDe variis intensitatem vis Galvanicae metiendi methodis (Various methods of measuring Galvanic force intensity) (1835)
Notable studentsHermann Lotze

Gustav Theodor Fechner (/ˈfɛxnər/; German: [ˈfɛçnɐ]; 19 April 1801 – 18 November 1887) was a German physicist, philosopher, and experimental psychologist. A pioneer in experimental psychology and founder of psychophysics (techniques for measuring the mind), he inspired many 20th-century scientists and philosophers. He is also credited with demonstrating the non-linear relationship between psychological sensation and the physical intensity of a stimulus via the formula: , which became known as the Weber–Fechner law.