There is a thoroughly decent entry for Evariste Galois on wikipedia... with all the basics you could ever need... and there are a handful of cracking books on the man (details to follow)...
... so there's no need for me to work on a straight A to Z, birth to death account... instead I'll give you my own peculiar & personal take on the simple stuff of Evariste's life....
Evariste Galois was born on 25th October in 1811, and named after the nearest Saint to share his birthday... a former Pope no less, one of the first handful after St Peter himself, barely one hundred years after Christ was born.
... but Evariste wasn't destined for a religious life... even his staunchly catholic mother who taught him at home until he was 12 couldn't steer Evariste into the arms of the church...
... instead his short life was more influenced by his father, Nicholas... or was it his father's politics...?
For Nicholas was a democrat, a proud republican, a supporter of Napoleon who managed to hang on as Mayor of Evariste's home town even when the republcians were routed, Napoleon was dead and a king was restored to the throne of France.
Impressive... and a testament to the finer qualities of Evariste's father... but the monarchists and their supporters eventually got him in 1829 ... they simply distributed a series of verse, forged so as to be sent by Nicholas and given to the very people the verses ridiculed and scandalised, his neighbours and friends...
... sensitive Nicholas committed suicide (improbably, by gas) in a room in Paris not far from Evariste's school...
Strange, and I know it's a slight diversion from 'Evaritse Galois - The Basics', but perhaps his father's persecution and demise really do form part of Evariste's basic 'basics'.... ?
... because some have claimed that barely two years later, bereft without his father, ignored by his mathematical peers, frustrated with the failure of revoltuion to re-ignite, and spurned in love, Evariste committed suicide himself...
... if you count fighting a duel to lose as suicide....
... because some have claimed that barely two years later, bereft without his father, ignored by his mathematical peers, frustrated with the failure of revoltuion to re-ignite, and spurned in love, Evariste committed suicide himself...
... if you count fighting a duel to lose as suicide....
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