Niels Henrik Abel Essay

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Niels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian Mathematician born on August 5, 1802 in Nedstrand Norway. Abel was one of the most prominent mathematicians of the 19th century. Niels Henrik Abel was the second of seven kids by Soren Georg Abel and Anne Marie Simonsen. Abel’s father moved from Finnoy to Nedstrand, where he met Anne and they raised their family. Soren studied Theology and Philosophy, and Anne was the daughter of a wealthy merchant and shipowner named Niels Henrik Saxild Simonsen. Soren Georg Abel also worked in Politics, achieving his goal to make Norway independent. There is a lot of evidence claiming that Anne liked to party, and was an alcoholic, but no one knows for sure. When Abel was one his grandfather, Hans Mathias Abel, died so his …show more content…

Niels Henrik Abel started attending Cathedral school, in Oslo, at the age of thirteen. Soren was a representative to the Storting, and they held their meetings in the main hall at Cathedral school. Many people believe that that is how Abel came in contact with the school. A couple years later, in 1818, the mathematics teacher Hans Peter Bader got fired for beating a student so bad that he died eight days later. Because of this a new mathematics teacher began teaching at Abel’s school. The teacher, Bernt Michael Holmboe, instantly saw Niels Henrik Abels’ mathematical talents and encouraged him to study it further. In the same year Soren got in a public argument with theologian Stener Johannes Stenersen about his Catechism from 1806. Also during this time, Soren almost faced impeachment for insulting Carsten Anker. Because of this Soren’s political career was ruined, and he began drinking heavily causing him to die two years later at the age of 48. In the same year Abel’s brother was diagnosed with mental …show more content…

Abel and his friends spent three months in Berlin where Abel met August Crelle. Later, August was about to publish his mathematical journal, which Abel contributed seven articles to, and Abel strongly encouraged him. Later that year Abel had financial problems and had to quit his tour in January 1828. When Abel returned from Berlin he was offered an editor position for Crelles journal, but decided not to take it because he wanted to spend some time with his Fiance Christine Kemp. Since Abel never made it to Gottingen and did not publish anything during his tour, the tour abroad was considered a failure and his scholarship was not renewed by the Norwegian

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