Algebra

Main article: Algebra
Algebra may be viewed as the art of manipulating equations and formulas. Diophantus (3d century)
and Al-Khwarizmi (9th century) were two main precursors of algebra. The first one solved some
relations between unknown natural numbers (that is, equations) by deducing new relations until
getting the solution. The second one introduced systematic methods for transforming equations
(such as moving a term from a side of an equation into the other side). The term algebra is derived
from the Arabic word that he used for naming one of these methods in the title of his main treatise.

The quadratic formula expresses concisely the solutions of all quadratic equations

Algebra began to be a specific area only with François Viète (1540–1603), who introduced the use of
letters (variables) for representing unknown or unspecified numbers. This allows describing
concisely the operations that have to be done on the numbers represented by the variables.
Until the 19th century, algebra consisted mainly of the study of linear equations that is called
presently linear algebra, and polynomial equations in a single unknown, which were called algebraic
equations (a term that is still in use, although it may be ambiguous). During the 19th century,
variables began to represent other things than numbers (such as matrices, modular integers,
and geometric transformations), on which some operations can operate, which are often
generalizations of arithmetic operations. For dealing with this, the concept of algebraic structure was
introduced, which consist of a set whose elements are unspecified, of operations acting on the
elements of the set, and rules that these operations must follow. So, the scope of algebra evolved
for becoming essentially the study of algebraic structures. This object of algebra was called modern
algebra or abstract algebra, the latter term being still used, mainly in an educational context, in
opposition with elementary algebra which is concerned with the older way of manipulating formulas.

Rubik's cube: the study of its possible moves is a concrete application of group theory

Some types of algebraic structures have properties that are useful, and often fundamental, in many
areas of mathematics. Their study are nowadays autonomous parts of algebra, which include:

 group theory;
 field theory;
  vector spaces, whose study is essentially the same as linear algebra;
 ring theory;
 commutative algebra, which is the study of commutative rings, includes the study
of polynomials, and is a foundational part of algebraic geometry;
 homological algebra
 Lie algebra and Lie group theory;
 Boolean algebra, which is widely used for the study of the logical structure of computers.
The study of types algebraic structures as mathematical objects is the object of universal
algebra and category theory. The latter applies to every mathematical structure (not only the
algebraic ones). At its origin, it was introduced, together with homological algebra for allowing the
algebraic study of non-algebraic objects such as topological spaces; this particular area of
application is called algebraic topology.

Calculus and analysis

Algebra
Main article: Algebra
Algebra may be viewed as the art of manipulating equations and formulas. Diophantus (3d century)
and Al-Khwarizmi (9th century) were two main precursors of algebra. The first one solved some
relations between unknown natural numbers (that is, equations) by deducing new relations until
getting the solution. The second one introduced systematic methods for transforming equations
(such as moving a term from a side of an equation into the other side). The term algebra is derived
from the Arabic word that he used for naming one of these methods in the title of his main treatise.

The quadratic formula expresses concisely the solutions of all quadratic equations

Algebra began to be a specific area only with François Viète (1540–1603), who introduced the use of
letters (variables) for representing unknown or unspecified numbers. This allows describing
concisely the operations that have to be done on the numbers represented by the variables.
Until the 19th century, algebra consisted mainly of the study of linear equations that is called
presently linear algebra, and polynomial equations in a single unknown, which were called algebraic
equations (a term that is still in use, although it may be ambiguous). During the 19th century,
variables began to represent other things than numbers (such as matrices, modular integers,
and geometric transformations), on which some operations can operate, which are often
generalizations of arithmetic operations. For dealing with this, the concept of algebraic structure was
introduced, which consist of a set whose elements are unspecified, of operations acting on the
elements of the set, and rules that these operations must follow. So, the scope of algebra evolved
for becoming essentially the study of algebraic structures. This object of algebra was called modern
algebra or abstract algebra, the latter term being still used, mainly in an educational context, in
opposition with elementary algebra which is concerned with the older way of manipulating formulas.
Rubik's cube: the study of its possible moves is a concrete application of group theory

Some types of algebraic structures have properties that are useful, and often fundamental, in many
areas of mathematics. Their study are nowadays autonomous parts of algebra, which include:

 group theory;
 field theory;
 vector spaces, whose study is essentially the same as linear algebra;
 ring theory;
 commutative algebra, which is the study of commutative rings, includes the study
of polynomials, and is a foundational part of algebraic geometry;
 homological algebra
 Lie algebra and Lie group theory;
 Boolean algebra, which is widely used for the study of the logical structure of computers.
The study of types algebraic structures as mathematical objects is the object of universal
algebra and category theory. The latter applies to every mathematical structure (not only the
algebraic ones). At its origin, it was introduced, together with homological algebra for allowing the
algebraic study of non-algebraic objects such as topological spaces; this particular area of
application is called algebraic topology.

Calculus and analysis

Algebra
Main article: Algebra
Algebra may be viewed as the art of manipulating equations and formulas. Diophantus (3d century)
and Al-Khwarizmi (9th century) were two main precursors of algebra. The first one solved some
relations between unknown natural numbers (that is, equations) by deducing new relations until
getting the solution. The second one introduced systematic methods for transforming equations
(such as moving a term from a side of an equation into the other side). The term algebra is derived
from the Arabic word that he used for naming one of these methods in the title of his main treatise.

The quadratic formula expresses concisely the solutions of all quadratic equations

Algebra began to be a specific area only with François Viète (1540–1603), who introduced the use of
letters (variables) for representing unknown or unspecified numbers. This allows describing
concisely the operations that have to be done on the numbers represented by the variables.
Until the 19th century, algebra consisted mainly of the study of linear equations that is called
presently linear algebra, and polynomial equations in a single unknown, which were called algebraic
equations (a term that is still in use, although it may be ambiguous). During the 19th century,
variables began to represent other things than numbers (such as matrices, modular integers,
and geometric transformations), on which some operations can operate, which are often
generalizations of arithmetic operations. For dealing with this, the concept of algebraic structure was
introduced, which consist of a set whose elements are unspecified, of operations acting on the
elements of the set, and rules that these operations must follow. So, the scope of algebra evolved
for becoming essentially the study of algebraic structures. This object of algebra was called modern
algebra or abstract algebra, the latter term being still used, mainly in an educational context, in
opposition with elementary algebra which is concerned with the older way of manipulating formulas.

Rubik's cube: the study of its possible moves is a concrete application of group theory

Some types of algebraic structures have properties that are useful, and often fundamental, in many
areas of mathematics. Their study are nowadays autonomous parts of algebra, which include:

 group theory;
 field theory;
 vector spaces, whose study is essentially the same as linear algebra;
 ring theory;
 commutative algebra, which is the study of commutative rings, includes the study
of polynomials, and is a foundational part of algebraic geometry;
 homological algebra
 Lie algebra and Lie group theory;
 Boolean algebra, which is widely used for the study of the logical structure of computers.
The study of types algebraic structures as mathematical objects is the object of universal
algebra and category theory. The latter applies to every mathematical structure (not only the
algebraic ones). At its origin, it was introduced, together with homological algebra for allowing the
algebraic study of non-algebraic objects such as topological spaces; this particular area of
application is called algebraic topology.

Calculus and analysis