more Galois/pure maths

[Olly Ruff]

On Mon, 7 Dec 1998, Doug Millison wrote:

> Slade suggests that Weed is Pynchon's fictionalization of Evariste Galois
> "(1811-1832) [...] a radical republican killed during the upheavals that
> brought Louis-Phillipe to power in France in the early 1830s. Galois's is a
> famous story of failed rebellion and betrayal, told in versions as
> conflicting as those peddled by Pynchon's veterans." Galois is credited
> with the invention of the modern form of mathematical group theory. Slade
> refers to a 1982 article by Tony Rothman, "Genius and Biographers:  The
> Fictionalization of Evariste Galois", which identifies a woman who may have
> been involved, along with a political cause,  in sparking  the duel which
> killed Galois, and who may serve as a model for Frenesi.

Galois never got much of a chance as a revolutionary, as indicated by the 
unfortunate proximity of his dates. (the mathematicians in 16th century
Spain were, apparently, a little more together) I don't have any of the
references to hand, but I'll check tomorrow when I pass a library ; if
someone doesn't correct me first. 

Originally jailed for something along the lines of "unlawfully wearing a
uniform", Galois didn't last long in the outside world before the duel
came to pass ; and there was definitely a woman involved. Her name has now
been established, although for many years her surname was unknown and
usually written "P----" - shades of Infinite Jest there, for anyone who
may be interested. I never thought of her as a model for Frenesi, though ;
as I understand it, she was very much from the right side of the tracks,
and I'm not sure to what extent Galois' death actually had political cause
; witness his seeming irritation at being killed over such a "minor" thing
and the deathbed quote of "Pardon for those who have killed me ; they are
of good faith." Words to that effect, in any case. I'll be embarrassed if
I've got this completely the wrong way around, but I'll look it up.

Weed Atman, the Accidental Revolutionary, spearheaded a movement simply by
being in the wrong place at the right time ; Galois, on the other hand,
attempted to do so & ended up getting shot over something technically
unrelated. Directed and undirected action, and some pretty harsh irony.

(and Galois never even got recognition as a mathematical thinker, let
alone tenure.)

later,

O.R.