Erland Samuel Bring
Who was Erland Samuel Bring?
Swedish mathematician
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Erland Samuel Bring (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Erland Samuel Bring was born on August 19, 1736, in Ausås parish, Sweden, and became one of the well-known Swedish mathematicians of the 18th century. He studied at Lund University from 1750 to 1757, during an important period for his intellectual growth. After completing his education, Bring remained at Lund where he would spend his entire career.
In 1762, Bring became a reader in history at Lund University, showing how academic roles involved multiple disciplines at that time. His dedication and contributions led to his promotion to professor in 1779, allowing him to focus more on his mathematical interests. At Lund, Bring wrote eight volumes of mathematical work covering areas like algebra, geometry, analysis, and astronomy.
His most important work was on algebraic equations, especially quintic equations. His major publication, "Meletemata quaedam mathematica circa transformationem aequationum algebraicarum," came out in 1786. It detailed his method of transforming quintic equations into a simpler form, reducing them to x^5 + px + q = 0. This form, known as the Bring-Jerrard form, was independently found by George Jerrard between 1832 and 1835.
The Bring radical, named after him, represents his contribution to algebraic equation theory. Bring's curve in algebraic geometry also honors his work in this field. Bring worked before the proof of the impossibility of solving general quintic equations algebraically was established by Paolo Ruffini and Niels Henrik Abel, which came after his death. Erland Samuel Bring died on May 20, 1798, in Lund, leaving a legacy that influenced future mathematical thought.
Before Fame
Erland Samuel Bring started at Lund University in 1750 when he was just fourteen. At that time in 18th-century Sweden, it was common for students to start university younger than they do now. During his seven years of study from 1750 to 1757, he got a solid grounding in mathematics and other subjects. This was during the Enlightenment when universities focused on both classical studies and new scientific methods.
After graduating, he became a reader in history by 1762. This shows how academic fields weren't as separate as they are today. Scholars had to be knowledgeable in many areas, combining math skills with history, philosophy, and other studies.
Key Achievements
- Developed the transformation method for simplifying quintic equations to x^5 + px + q = 0 form
- Authored eight volumes of mathematical work covering algebra, geometry, analysis and astronomy
- Advanced from reader in history to professor at Lund University over 17 years
- Published 'Meletemata quaedam mathematica circa transformationem aequationum algebraicarum' in 1786
- Contributed to algebraic equation theory with concepts now known as Bring radical and Bring's curve
Did You Know?
- 01.Bring began his university studies at Lund at age 14, spending seven years there before graduating
- 02.Despite being primarily known as a mathematician, his first academic appointment was as a reader in history
- 03.His major mathematical work was published in Latin with the title 'Meletemata quaedam mathematica circa transformationem aequationum algebraicarum'
- 04.The Bring-Jerrard transformation was independently discovered by George Jerrard more than 30 years after Bring's death
- 05.Bring authored eight complete volumes of mathematical work covering algebra, geometry, analysis, and astronomy during his career at Lund