Budding mathematician Évariste Galois

augustin-louis cauchy reviewed galois mathematical papers.

in following year galois first paper, on continued fractions, published. @ around same time began making fundamental discoveries in theory of polynomial equations. submitted 2 papers on topic academy of sciences. augustin-louis cauchy refereed these papers, refused accept them publication reasons still remain unclear. however, in spite of many claims contrary, held cauchy recognized importance of galois work, , merely suggested combining 2 papers 1 in order enter in competition academy s grand prize in mathematics. cauchy, eminent mathematician of time, though political views @ opposite end galois , considered galois work winner.

on 28 july 1829 galois father committed suicide after bitter political dispute village priest. couple of days later, galois made second , last attempt enter polytechnique, , failed yet again. undisputed galois more qualified; however, accounts differ on why failed. more plausible accounts state galois made many logical leaps , baffled incompetent examiner, enraged galois. recent death of father may have influenced behavior.

having been denied admission polytechnique, galois took baccalaureate examinations in order enter École normale. passed, receiving degree on 29 december 1829. examiner in mathematics reported, pupil obscure in expressing ideas, intelligent , shows remarkable spirit of research.

he submitted memoir on equation theory several times, never published in lifetime due various events. noted before, first attempt refused cauchy, in february 1830 following cauchy s suggestion submitted academy s secretary joseph fourier, considered grand prix of academy. unfortunately, fourier died after, , memoir lost. prize awarded year niels henrik abel posthumously , carl gustav jacob jacobi. despite lost memoir, galois published 3 papers year, 1 of laid foundations galois theory. second 1 numerical resolution of equations (root finding in modern terminology). third important 1 in number theory, in concept of finite field first articulated.