December 2008
Intermediate to advanced
408 pages
9h 43m
English
1 Éveriste Galois (1811–1832) is famous for having solved the problem of deciding when a polynomial equation can be solved by radicals. His work led to what is now called Galois theory, an important branch of algebra. Galois theory can be used to prove that the famous Greek straightedge-and-compass problems of trisecting the angle, squaring the circle, and doubling the cube are impossible. Tragically, Galois died in a duel at the age of 20.