Niels Henrik Abel (August 5, 1802 – April 6, 1829) was a noted Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.
Abel was born in Nedstrand, Norway (near Finnøy) to Søren Georg Abel and Anne Marie Simonsen, "the daughter of a shipping merchant." Abel's father had a degree in theology and philosophy and his grandfather was an active Protestant minister at Gjerstad near Risør. After the latter's death...
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Niels Henrik Abel (August 5, 1802 – April 6, 1829) was a noted Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.
Abel was born in Nedstrand, Norway (near Finnøy) to Søren Georg Abel and Anne Marie Simonsen, "the daughter of a shipping merchant." Abel's father had a degree in theology and philosophy and his grandfather was an active Protestant minister at Gjerstad near Risør. After the latter's death, Abel's father was appointed as minister at Gjerstad. In 1815, Abel entered the Cathedral School in Christiania (now known as Oslo). A new mathematics teacher, Bernt Michael Holmboe, was appointed in 1817. Seeing Abel's talent in mathematics he encouraged him to study the subject to an advanced level. When Abel's father died in 1820, the family was left in strained circumstances, and Holmboe supported Abel with a scholarship to remain at school and raised money from his friends to enable Abel to study at the Royal Frederick University. Abel...
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