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This digital document is an article from Science and Its Times, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1705 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life. Entries represent people and developments throughout the world, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Science and Its Times, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1379 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life. Entries represent people and developments throughout the world, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century. ... Read more

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While growing up in revolutionary France, Evariste Galois immersed himself in the study of mathematics, a pursuit that allowed him a welcome glimpse of order at a time when chaos consumed his country. Arrogant, ambitious, and brilliant, Galois dreamed of solving the quintic, a complex equation that had baffled many talented mathematicians before him--but after his father's mysterious death, he devoted himself to Republican politics with the same fervent energy he had applied to his mathematical studies. Rich in historical detail and bursting with intellectual passion, this captivating novel describes a genius's valiant quest for truth--in a turbulent and uncertain era that in many ways mirrors the one in which we live today.

"An engaging historical novel."-- Kirkus Reviews

"In this remarkable novel, Petsinis resurrects a young, overemotional, impetuous, and headstrong genius whose personal failures read like a Hugo novel but whose voice resonates more clearly now with the passage of time."-- Booklist

"Draws a vivid picture of post-Napoleon France....Petsinis makes mathematical passion accessible...a fine account of revolutionary France and a look into a mind that made great discoveries."-- The Stranger (Seattle, WA)Amazon.com Review
The French Mathematician is a fictional memoir ofEvariste Galois, the mathematical genius who made innovations inalgebra before his untimely death in 1832. Galois narrates the book,describing how he sought solace in "the order and certainty ofgeometry" during the social and political upheaval in France at thetime. The book chronicles his adolescence, his growth as amathematician, his political awakening, and his death in a duel. TomPetsinis teaches math at a university in Australia, and this is thefirst of his books to be published in the United States. The bareoutline of Petsinis's book is interesting, but unfortunately TheFrench Mathematician is somewhat overburdened with flowerylanguage and hallucinatory dream sequences. When Galois works hard ona math problem, he tends to fall into a reverie, like this: "My heartwas now beating faster than usual. No longer Evariste Galois, I amimpersonal, at one with the eternal mind responsible for mathematics,impelled forward to discover the mystery at the center of thelabyrinth.But just as the solution is within reach, I am distractedby the scent of chamomile." A scantily clad temptress interrupts theyoung genius's reverie during this hallucination and severalothers. Even though Galois struggles to separate himself from thedistractions of the material world, a love affair ultimately brings onhis demise.Evariste Galois was probably a fascinating, difficultperson, but the budding mathematician Petsinis describes in this bookis not a very likable or interesting character--he's a sort ofhumorless and bitter teen. --Jill Marquis ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A Genius too advanced for his time
Reading the story told in 1st person about the tragic life of Galois, there were few persons who contributed to Galois's misfortune:

1. Cauchy whose selfishness to block Galois's papers 'intentionally';
2. Poisson whose ignorance caused Galois's total disappointment in academia, pushed him to the fire of revolution;
3. Ecole Polytechnique's CONCOURS Entrance Examiners who failed Galois for 2 years;
4. Ecole Normale Superieure Director who expelled Galois;
5. The Jesuit who caused his father's suicide;
6. The coquette french lady who used Galois to make her Fiancee jealous, which led to the fatal duel.

It is ironical that Ecole Normale Sup is now the highest Math institution in France, apologized for the mistake ofexpelling Galois only after 100 years.

'X' (Ecole Polytechnique's nick name) produced the Group Theory only 14 years after Galois's death.

One important person in Galois Math career was his teacher Louis Richard from Lycee Louis-le-Grand. 20 years later Richard produced another great mathematician Charles Hermite (proved e transcendental), whose German student Lindermann (proved pi transcendental) was the 'ancestor' of German Gottingen mathematicians. Funny thing was Hermite entered 'X' as last student, passed by a thin line, almost repeated Galois's failure- Hermite was asked to quit after 1 year in 'X' !

Conclusion: The Concours (Entrance Exams) could not detect Math genius ! Today the 'bloody' Concours still exits in France as fierce competition entering to the elite Grandes Ecoles (the prestigious 'X' still being the toughest). How many more young genius like Galois will the Concours be denying outside the wall of Math ?

A bit wild for me
I'm going to tell you like it is:

I went in with the information given by ET Bell when reading about this curious character and came out of this book wondering what the hell? I looked on the back of the book - fiction. Thank God. Founding a religion on X? I had to check because some people are actually that crazy.

Tom runs wild with imagination with Evariste Galois. It's a nice story for the most part, but there are some parts in this book where you just sit and wonder if Petsinis was bored, drunk, or a combination of the two when writing some of the stuff in the book.

Galois, the man --
-- but almost nothing of Galois the mathematician.

Galois founded a branch of math that still bears his name, the study of Galois fields. They're in use everywhere today, from the nearest cell phone or DVD to the most distant interplanetary probe. But the book barely mentions his mathematical achievements and certainly doesn't describe them, so let's move along.

Galois himself has all the makings of a great romantic figure. It's a matter of historical fact that was mathematical prodigy, with important work published during his short life. It's also true that he died in a duel at age 21, after spending his final night organizing his mathematical notes for posterity. That, plus simply living through a time of intense political upheaval, let alone being involved in it, makes him a character quite able to capture the imagination. Petsinis' imagination has been quite completely captivated.

If anything, there may be a bit too much imagination in this rendering of Galois' life. It's told in the first person, from Galois' own point of view, for which historical justification is thin at best. With so little fact at hand, Petsinis has created a wildly emotional character. In this presentation, Galois seemed quite incapable of moderation in any feeling, driven continually between white-hot intensity and blackest depression. Every page seemed to sizzle with overheated passion for math, for his politics, for his family, or for what he had for breakfast - I was tempted to set an ice pack on the book more than once.

Given all that was obviously fabricated in the cause of a good story, I'm not sure how much to trust any of the other facts that might have historical reality. How much was his mathematical career actually affected by perceptions of his politics? The paranoid view here suggests that the mathematical establishment conspired to create a wall of silence around the firebrand's work during his lifetime. On the whole, inertia and absent-mindedness look like equally good explanations.

I find this a fair (if wildly expressive) novel, a questionable biography, and a disappointing tribute to the mathematician and his mathematical achievements. It is very tempting to romanticize Galois the man, and Petsinis has fallen completely for that temptation.

//wiredweird

Unsympathetic protagonist, but a well-done novel
This fictionalized account of mathematician Evariste Galois's life ushers us directly and intimately into the mind of one whose discoveries continue to influence present-day nuclear physics and genetic engineering.

Having had his early education at home under the tutelage of his literary-minded mother, fifteen-year-old Evariste Galois is sent to Paris to complete his education.A sensitive, arrogant genius, he detests the school, the teachers, and all the other students.Then he is exposed to mathematics for the first time and knows he has found that thing that so few of us ever do: his calling.To Evariste, mathematics is its own reward, a refuge of logic in a chaotic world.It is the key to unlock the secrets of the universe.It is a new and superior religion.He vows he will be the first to solve the quintic, a complex equation that has confounded many great minds.

There are obstacles in his path to this goal.First, he must struggle to suppress his own emerging sexuality.Then, there are the schoolmates who continually goad and harass him to join their Republican groups.Less easily ignored are the grievous social inequities and turmoil surrounding him.When his father dies, an alleged suicide, Evariste at last begins to question his singular devotion to mathematics.

Evariste tells his own story, addressing himself to an imaginary biographer who shadows him throughout the book, experiencing events as he does, all in present tense.While this type of narration can be off-putting, Petsinis utilizes it respectably and often with great drama.He adeptly conveys to the reader information that the self-absorbed and oblivious protagonist himself misses.Petsinis's prose is rich with original and evocative metaphors and similes, and his flair for verb choice gives the story a distinctively realistic feel.

Egotistical and insolent, Evariste is difficult to like at the outset.Yet the reader soon glimpses the fragile and idealistic heart of an insecure young man possessed of remarkable mental gifts.As the story unfolds, the reader comes to understand the noble soul of Evariste Galois -- his consuming desire to give his life to a meaningful cause and to attain immortality through his work.

Genius distracted
There are many types of genius - obscure genius like that of the mathematician Ramanujan which defies analysis, persistent genius like JS Bach who produced an endless stream of inspired work through his long life, blocked genius like that of Einstein who produced a work of unquestionable genius but then - despite his qualities of innovation and analysis - was unable to progress with his next major theory through a significant period of his life (of course, no-one else has yet managed to achieve what he attempted).And the absent-minded professor is such an archetype.But Galois - the subject of this novel - shows himself to be the distracted genius.What could he have achieved if he had been supported properly by his peers - mentored as Ramanujan was?What might he have achieved if he had lived in a more stable political environment?

I enjoyed this novel although at times I thought it was a little long for the story it was telling.And Galois was depicted as such an unattractive self-assured but doubting person. I particularly didn't like his attitude towards people - especially women - as portrayed in the novel, anyway.It seemed that the negative in human behaviour had such a powerful influence that the positive - and surely he must have encountered some - was swept aside.But that would lead to, say, never eating an orange because one day one came across a bad one.

But I do have a philosophical objection to what this novel is - or isn't.Although I was attracted to the idea of dramatising the life of a mathematician because I believe it is imperative that we overcome the cultural acceptance of an inability to do mathematics - even a pride in not being asble to do mathematics - that seems to be all around me.And one step in this direction is to put people back into the subject.Who were Cauchy and Poisson whose names are attached to theorems and processes - and all the others so named.Cauchy and Poisson I mention because they are minor characters in 'The French Mathematician', and I hope Mr Petsinis has not done them an injustice with the bad press he has given them.

In 2000 I attended a seminar in Orlando, Florida.My wife and I took our two young boys (aged 4 and 6) with us so that they could experience some of the States, including, of course, Disneyland and Universal Studios. But later, when we reached NASA, we had to try and assure tham that this was real - not just another theme park.And then NASA undid the good work by showing a 3D movie of life in a space station - in the next century.Reality was confused with make believe again.What does this have to do with 'The French Mathemtician'?Well, it seems to me that the historic novel as this is - it is not history, a biography - is rather like a theme park.It does have elements of the real but these are so buried in the author's imagining that it becomes difficult to determine what is reality, how close the imagining comes to the way things really were.I enjoyed reading Mr Petsinis' realisation of the life of Galois and I hope I have a proper perspective on the man's life, and the times he lived in, but I do have doubts.

One word of advice for people who might read this novel hoping to also get some insights into Evariste Galois's mathematics - there is no mathematics in this novel. ... Read more

Product Description
What do the music of J. S. Bach, the basic forces of nature, Rubik's Cube, and the selection of mates have in common? They are all characterized by certain symmetries. Symmetry is the concept that bridges the gap between science and art, between the world of theoretical physics and the everyday world we see around us. Yet the "language" of symmetry--group theory in mathematics--emerged from a most unlikely source: an equation that couldn't be solved.

Over the millennia, mathematicians solved progressively more difficult algebraic equations until they came to what is known as the quintic equation. For several centuries it resisted solution, until two mathematical prodigies independently discovered that it could not be solved by the usual methods, thereby opening the door to group theory. These young geniuses, a Norwegian named Niels Henrik Abel and a Frenchman named Evariste Galois, both died tragically. Galois, in fact, spent the night before his fatal duel (at the age of twenty) scribbling another brief summary of his proof, at one point writing in the margin of his notebook "I have no time."

The story of the equation that couldn't be solved is a story of brilliant mathematicians and a fascinating account of how mathematics illuminates a wide variety of disciplines. In this lively, engaging book, Mario Livio shows in an easily accessible way how group theory explains the symmetry and order of both the natural and the human-made worlds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Math, History, Sex, and Politics -- FUN
Livio's novel delivers when he stays with Galois' inspiring and tragic story. While I can't find the exact quote in the book, a phrase I often use was inspired by reading this book: "New ideas are judged by old knowledge."

Polymath's delight: Ancient crop tallies in clay to General Relativity
I wanted to learn about Symmetry but got way more...I finally get General Relativity.

The author uses a technique that I find both captivating and incredibly powerful in teaching or learning a complex idea: he thoroughly reconstructs the world that lead up to the new idea. He zooms in biographically on the key innovators that first recognized the new idea helping me to follow their original thought process. I find this so much more insightful than the typical expedient way of starting with the big idea then working backward to fundamentals. The book starts with the origins of algebra imprinted in clay tablets used by ancient Mesopotamian accountants to divvy and manage assets. As civilization rose, so did the order of equations used to address increasingly complex or abstract questions. He builds the story era upon era with key players brought to life as he goes. So when, toward the end of the book he gets to Einstein and Relativity, I feel I get a glimpse of the deep understanding that its discoverer had rather than the shallow tinny one I had from all my prior retrospective learning.

Those with advanced knowledge may find the book lacking in mathematical extent and detail (as reflected in a few of the other reviews). For readers like me with a solid general science foundation looking to expand their "big picture" this book is excellent.

Uneven Handling of Symmetry from Mathematical and Aesthetic Perspectives
This is a hack job by someone who is clearly interested in the subject matter, but handles it very unevenly.The book begins with the question of why symmetry is significant from an aesthetic perspective, but then gives a mathematical explanation of symmetry (primarily the contributions of group theory), mixed with some choppy, historically dubious biographies of the involved mathematicians that go far off track, and then makes a poor attempt to tie the book together in the end.

The Equation that couldn't be solved
I have not read more boring and rambling book. Its approach to symmetry is garbled - author wants to write more and more, so does not spend sufficient time elaborating what he wants to say. The group theory coverage is lacking. Galoi and his theory have been given short shrift. There are no examples to show how Galoi's theory is applied to quintic and other equation. Many times I felt lost while I was reading the book - was it symmetry, group theory or Galoi's theory or something else like mating. The book does not hold your interest. I donot personally recommend this nook to anybody

A good idea, but too much babbling
This book was something that I'd picked up out of wanting a better understanding of something that is used in Chemistry-- which is symmetry and point groups. There was some discussion, but not enough.

1. There were some interesting insights, but they were not tied together as tightly as, say, "Zero, The Biography of a Dangerous Idea."

2. The chapters about Galois and Abel were just waaaaay too long. We all know that there are people that have mental issues. Was it really necessary to detail all of them? We all know that some people are revolutionaries and just aren't happy unless they are inflammed about something. Does this have that much to do with someone's contribution to symmetry?

3. It might have been a bit of fun to see how group theory was employed in the service of some problems. Or more detail about how it was used to prove things. (Comparable to the amount of detail that Simon Singh used in describing the discovery of Fermat's last theorem.)

4. Because of the long digressions in the book, the whole thing came across as, well, patchy. The author could have taken some lessons from Simon Singh on writing about esoteric topics for a popular audience.

All in all, it was interesting because it covered something that I had not heretofore seen popularized. It's worth about a secondhand purchase price. ... Read more

Product Description
Ce seul titre fera débat. Plongeons dans la recherche vive en histoire des mathématiques avec quatre questions d’érudition et de sciences sociales. Comment les mathématiciens grecs travaillaient-ils ? Comment les textes circulaient-ils dans l’Italie du XVIe siècle ? Quels furent les enjeux du recours à Galois quelques décennies après sa mort ? Sur quels réseaux de textes le concept de matrice s’est-il généralisé au fil du XXe siècle ? ... Read more