Ludwig Otto Hesse (22 April 1811 – 4 August 1874) was a German mathematician.

Hesse was born in Königsberg, Prussia, and died in Munich, Bavaria.

He earned his doctorate in 1840 at the University of Königsberg with the dissertation De octo punctis intersectionis trium superficium secundi ordinis.

Hesse taught for some time physics and chemistry at the Vocational School in Königsberg and lectured at the Albertina.

His doctoral students include Olaus Henrici, Gustav Kirchhoff, Jacob Lüroth, Adolph Mayer, Carl Neumann, Max Noether, Ernst Schröder, and Heinrich Martin Weber.