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RePoSS #11: The Mathematics of Niels Henrik Abel: Continuation ...

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182 Chapter 8. A grand theory in spe<br />

Figure 8.2: EVARISTE GALOIS (1811–1832)<br />

in the present context, 41 which focuses on the differences and similarities between the<br />

almost concurrent works <strong>of</strong> ABEL and GALOIS.<br />

8.5.1 <strong>The</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> a general theory <strong>of</strong> solubility<br />

In a sequence <strong>of</strong> manuscripts, GALOIS attacked the same two problems as ABEL had<br />

suggested in order to describe the extension <strong>of</strong> algebraic solubility (see section 8.1).<br />

ABEL had attempted to solve the first problem — that <strong>of</strong> finding all solvable equations<br />

<strong>of</strong> a given degree — in his notebook manuscript described in this chapter. ABEL’S sec-<br />

ond question concerning the determination <strong>of</strong> whether a given equation was algebra-<br />

ically solvable or not was the direct purpose <strong>of</strong> GALOIS’ theory. GALOIS intended to<br />

give characterizations <strong>of</strong> solubility which could, at least in principle, be used to decide<br />

the solubility <strong>of</strong> any given equation, but the machinery needed for actually determining<br />

the solubility <strong>of</strong> given equations was <strong>of</strong> lesser interest to him. 42<br />

<strong>The</strong> important feature <strong>of</strong> GALOIS’ theory was to associate a structure called a group<br />

to any given equation such that the question <strong>of</strong> solubility <strong>of</strong> equations could be trans-<br />

lated into questions concerning these structures. Although the concept <strong>of</strong> group only<br />

saw its first instances and was not a developed abstract concept in the works <strong>of</strong> GA-<br />

41 It has been dealt with extensively in the literature, for instance (J. Pierpont, 1898), (Kiernan, 1971),<br />

(Hirano, 1984), (Scholz, 1990), or (Martini, 1999).<br />

42 (Kiernan, 1971, 83).

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