Galois Solved Equations Then Died

While still in his teens, French mathematician Évariste Galois solved a mathematical problem that had remained unsolved for about 350 years, laying the foundations of what later became Galois theory. In 1832, at just 20 years old, Galois fought in a duel for reasons that remain unclear, and he was shot in the abdomen and died from his wounds the following day. This cut short one of the most remarkable mathematical careers in history.

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