"After Galois, What?"

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Place: Villanova University

Many accounts of the nineteenth century theory of equations emphasize the contributions of Abel and Galois and the resulting shift towards abstract algebra. Nevertheless, some followed other lines of research. Mathematicians had originally introduced a resolvent equation as a step towards solving a given equation by radicals. After Galois' theory became known, mathematicians still studied resolvent equations, but now with new aims. This talk is the outgrowth of my attempt understand the background to one of the late manuscripts of Arthur Cayley that were previously discussed by Dr. Weintraub.