Evariste Galois has been hailed by
many as the father of modern algebra. In his short lifetime, he did some
phenomenal research work on mathematics and published many of his
works. At such a young age, Galois worked out algebraic applications of
finite groups, now known as Galois groups, and laid the foundations for
the solvability of algebraic equations using rational operations and
extraction of roots. It is beyond doubt that his mathematical work
helped a great deal in the transformation of the theory of algebraic
equations. Along with Norwegian mathematician Niels Abel, he proved the
impossibility of solving general quintic equation and polynomial
equations of higher degree, in terms of a finite number of rational
operations and root extractions. Galois had to endure many misfortunes
in his short lifetime, ranging from his father’s untimely demise to many
of his works being ignored, misplaced and lost by their caretakers. He
had also been a radical Republican during the reign of Louis Philippe in
France.
Childhood & Early Life
Evariste Galois was born on the 25th of October, 1811 in
Bourg-la-Rein, near Paris. Both of his parents were well educated in
classical literature, religion and philosophy. Evariste’s father,
Nicolas-Gabriel Galois, was a Republican and headed the Bourg-la-Reine's
liberal party. After Louis XVIII returned to the throne in 1814,
Nicolas was appointed the mayor of the village in 1815. Evariste’s
mother, the daughter of a jurist, took care of Galois’s education till
he turned twelve when he entered the lycée of Louis-le-Grand in Paris in
October 1823. Though the school was going through a great upheaval when
Galois entered and about 100 students were expelled, he performed well
initially and ranked first in Latin which he learnt under his mother’s
tutelage. However, he soon lost interest in studies and started taking
deep interest only in mathematics, at the age of 14. By February 1827 he
enrolled himself for his first mathematics class under M. Vernie. He
studied Adrien Marie Legendre's ‘Éléments de Géométrie’ which he
mastered in the first reading. By the time he turned 15, Galois was
already studying the original papers of Joseph Louis Lagrange, which
included ‘Réflexions sur la résolution algébrique des équations’ that
seemed to have inspired one of his later work on equation theory. He
also studied Leçons sur le calcul des fonctions, which was meant for
professional mathematicians. However, his class performance continually
declined during this period. In 1828, Galois took the examination of the
École Polytechnique, the most prestigious university of Paris, but
failed to clear it. That very year, he entered École Normale, a
relatively lesser known institution for mathematical studies at the
time, where he found some professors who were sympathetic to him.
Death
Galois's died on account of a duel that occurred on the 30th
May 1832. Though the reason behind the incident is not clear, there
have been a great many speculations. Some letters written prior to his
death can be traced back to a woman named Mademoiselle Stéphanie-Félicie
Poterin du Motel, who might have shared some of her personal problems
with Galois and this could have instigated the duel. While some suggest
that the man, who Galois invited for the duel was Pescheux
d'Herbinville, was a part of the squad that had arrested him earlier and
was also du Motel's fiancé, other accounts suggest that Galois’s
opponent was one of his Republican friends. The night before the duel,
Galois sent a letter to Auguste Chevalier with three of his mathematical
manuscripts attached. On 30th May 1832, Galois confronted
his opponent and was shot in the abdomen. He was discovered, hours
later, by a peasant and was taken to the hospital where he passed away
the next morning after speaking his final words to his brother Alfred.
He died at the age of 20.
Major Works
- Galois groups
- General linear group over a prime field
