Abstract Algebra and Famous Impossibilities
Morris, Sidney A. / Pearson, Kenneth R. / Jones, Arthur
This textbook develops the abstract algebra necessary to prove the impossibility of four famous mathematical feats: squaring the circle, trisecting the angle, doubling the cube, and solving quintic equations. All the relevant concepts about fields are introduced concretely, with the geometrical questions providing motivation for the algebraic concepts. By focusing on problems that are as easy to approach as they were fiendishly difficult to re...
