Erland Samuel Bring
Encyclopedia
Erland Samuel Bring was a Swedish
mathematician.
Bring studied at Lund University
between 1750 and 1757. In 1762 he obtained a position of a reader in history and was promoted to professor in 1779. At Lund he wrote eight volumes of mathematical work in the fields of algebra, geometry, analysis and astronomy, including Meletemata quaedam mathematematica circa transformationem aequationum algebraicarum (1786). This work describes Bring's contribution to the algebraic solution of equations.
Bring had developed an important transformation to simplify a quintic equation
to the form
(see Bring radical
). In 1832–35 the same transformation was independently derived by George Jerrard
. However, whereas Jerrard knew from the past work by Paolo Ruffini
and Niels Henrik Abel
that a general quintic equation can not be solved, this fact was not known to Bring, putting him in a disadvantage.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
mathematician.
Bring studied at Lund University
Lund University
Lund University , located in the city of Lund in the province of Scania, Sweden, is one of northern Europe's most prestigious universities and one of Scandinavia's largest institutions for education and research, frequently ranked among the world's top 100 universities...
between 1750 and 1757. In 1762 he obtained a position of a reader in history and was promoted to professor in 1779. At Lund he wrote eight volumes of mathematical work in the fields of algebra, geometry, analysis and astronomy, including Meletemata quaedam mathematematica circa transformationem aequationum algebraicarum (1786). This work describes Bring's contribution to the algebraic solution of equations.
Bring had developed an important transformation to simplify a quintic equation
Quintic equation
In mathematics, a quintic function is a function of the formg=ax^5+bx^4+cx^3+dx^2+ex+f,\,where a, b, c, d, e and f are members of a field, typically the rational numbers, the real numbers or the complex numbers, and a is nonzero...
to the form
(see Bring radicalBring radical
In algebra, a Bring radical or ultraradical of a complex number a is a root of the polynomialx^5+x+a. \,In algebra, a Bring radical or ultraradical of a complex number a is a root of the polynomialx^5+x+a. \,In algebra, a Bring radical or ultraradical of a complex number a is a root...
). In 1832–35 the same transformation was independently derived by George Jerrard
George Jerrard
George Birch Jerrard was a British mathematician.He studied at Trinity College, Dublin from 1821 to 1827. His main work was on the theory of equations, where he was reluctant to accept the validity of the work of Niels Henrik Abel on the insolubility of the quintic equation by radicals...
. However, whereas Jerrard knew from the past work by Paolo Ruffini
Paolo Ruffini
Paolo Ruffini was an Italian mathematician and philosopher.By 1788 he had earned university degrees in philosophy, medicine/surgery, and mathematics...
and Niels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.-Early life:...
that a general quintic equation can not be solved, this fact was not known to Bring, putting him in a disadvantage.