Niels Henrik Abel

Everyone with an interest in the history of mathematics and science will enjoy reading this book on one of the most famous mathematicians of the 19th century. The author, who is both a historian and a mathematician, has written the definitive biography of Niels Henrik Abel.

A unique series of fascinating research papers on subjects related to the work of Niels Henrik Abel, written by some of the foremost specialists in their fields. Some of the authors have been specifically invited to present papers, discussing the influence of Abel in a mathematical-historical context. Others have submitted papers presented at the Abel Bicentennial Conference, Oslo June 3-8, 2002. The idea behind the book has been to produce a text covering a substantial part of the legacy of Abel, as perceived at the beginning of the 21st century.

Niels Henrik Abel was first published in 1957. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. Few men are more famous in the world of modern mathematics than Niels Henrik Abel, whose concepts and results are familiar to all present-day mathematicians. This volume, the first biography of Abel published in English, presents the story of the brilliant young Norwegian whose scientific achievements were not fully recognized until after his untimely death. It is also a case history of our perennial problem of how to detect genius and ease its path. Abel was born in 1802 in Finnoy, a little island on the coast of Norway. His father was a minister and politician of national importance, but his family descended from prominence to moral dissolution. Abel's studies were financed by his professors, aware of his extraordinary abilities. He was granted a fellowship to travel and study on the continent, and the year and a half which he then spent in Germany, Italy, and France was a most happy period in his life. When Abel returned to Norway, he could only obtain a temporary position, and in his last years he was harassed by grave difficulties. He managed, however, to write inspired mathematical articles which made a reputation for him among the mathematicians of Europe. Just as the security he longed for seemed within his grasp, he died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-six. Abel's life has been the subject of several books, published in the Scandinavian countries, France, and Germany, but, in preparing this biography, Mr. Ore made use of much new material obtained from private letters, official documents, and newspaper files in various European sources.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Originally published in 1881, these are the collected works of the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802-29).

Everyone with an interest in the history of mathematics and science will enjoy reading this book on one of the most famous mathematicians of the 19th century. The author, who is both a historian and a mathematician, has written the definitive biography of Niels Henrik Abel.

This is a story of more than a century ago, about a circle of young scientists, and in particular one among them, a mathematician, Niels Henrik Abel. He is well known to any mathematician of today; indeed, few men have their name associated with so many results and concepts in modern mathematics. This, however, is not the main concern in this book. It is rather the simple story of a scientist, his family and friends, his hopes and sorrows, his triumphs and tragedies. Many great lives, rich in outer events, have inspired biographers. But the profound humanity of a searching soul may provide the background for an equally arresting chronicle - the tale of a young man who set out from a little Norwegian town to explore the world of science.