Make clickable to author page link

I understand that:

<?php the_author() ?>

shows the author’s name.

I’d like to make this name linked to the author’s page, or even better to author profile.

I mean that if I click on author’s name I will go to author’s profile. (BTW I’ve read that profile information are publicly available but where?)

This is also necessary to permit Google to show my thumbsnail image besides my article.

Many thanks.