Abstract Algebra - History

History

As in other parts of mathematics, concrete problems and examples have played important roles in the development of algebra. Through the end of the nineteenth century many, perhaps most of these problems were in some way related to the theory of algebraic equations. Major themes include:

• Solving of systems of linear equations, which led to matrices, determinants and linear algebra
• Attempts to find formulae for solutions of general polynomial equations of higher degree that resulted in discovery of groups as abstract manifestations of symmetry
• Arithmetical investigations of quadratic and higher degree forms and diophantine equations, that directly produced the notions of a ring and ideal.

Numerous textbooks in abstract algebra start with axiomatic definitions of various algebraic structures and then proceed to establish their properties. This creates a false impression that in algebra axioms had come first and then served as a motivation and as a basis of further study. The true order of historical development was almost exactly the opposite. For example, the hypercomplex numbers of the nineteenth century had kinematic and physical motivations but challenged comprehension. Most theories that are now recognized as parts of algebra started as collections of disparate facts from various branches of mathematics, acquired a common theme that served as a core around which various results were grouped, and finally became unified on a basis of a common set of concepts. An archetypical example of this progressive synthesis can be seen in the history of group theory.