Elements of Algebra: Geometry, Numbers, Equations

Algebra is abstract mathematics - let us make no bones about it - yet it is also applied mathematics in its best and purest form. Algebra emerged from the struggle to solve concrete, physical problems in geometry, and succeeded after 2000 years of failure by other forms of mathematics. This book is a concise, self-contained introduction to abstract algebra which stresses its unifying role in geometry and number theory. There is a strong emphasis on historical motivation - both to trace abstract concepts to their concrete roots, but also to show the power of new ideas to solve old problems. This approach shows algebra as an integral part of mathematics and makes this text more informative to both beginners and experts than others. Classical results of geometry and number theory (such as straightedge-and-compass construction and its relation to Fermat primes) are used to motivate and illustrate algebraic techniques, and classical algebra itself (solutions of cubic and quartic equations) is used to motivate the problem of solvability by radicals and its solution via Galois theory. Modern methods are used whenever they are clearer or more efficient, but technical machinery is introduced only when needed. The lively style and clear expositions make this book a pleasure to read and to learn from.