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theory of equations

mathematics

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The theory of equations is a branch of mathematics focused on finding the roots of polynomial equations. In the 17th and 18th centuries, mathematicians like Euler and Gauss worked to establish the fundamental theorem of algebra, which states that every polynomial equation with real coefficients has a root of the form a + b√-1. This theorem is crucial for integration and understanding polynomial factorization.

Later, mathematicians like Lagrange investigated why general polynomial equations of degree five or higher could not be solved using algebraic formulas, a problem later confirmed by Évariste Galois. This pursuit significantly advanced the field of algebra.12

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