Abstract
The association of names to mathematical concepts and results (the creation of eponyms) is often a curious process. For the case of abelian groups, we will be taken on a quick, guided tour of the life of Niels Henrik Abel, elliptic functions, a curve called the lemniscate, the construction of the regular 17-gon, and a particular class of solvable equations before we can begin to appreciate how Abel's name was attributed to a concept (groups) not yet invented in his lifetime. Therefore, I will have to address how group theory was done before it was even invented. As the story unfolds, indications of a broader development in mathematics in the early nineteenth century will emerge. In that century, large parts of analysis underwent transformations from a predominantly formula-centred approach to a more conceptual one, and our story features important examples of how the processes of generalization functioned.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | BSHM Bulletin: Journal of the British Society for the History of Mathematics |
| Vol/bind | 28 |
| Udgave nummer | 1 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 1-15 |
| Antal sider | 15 |
| ISSN | 1749-8430 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 1 mar. 2013 |
| Udgivet eksternt | Ja |