Since 1973, Galois theory has been educating undergraduate students on Galois groups and classical Galois theory. In Galois Theory, Fifth Edition , mathematician and popular science author Ian Stewart updates this well-established textbook for today’s algebra students.

New to the Fifth Edition

• Reorganised and revised Chapters 7 and 13
• New exercises and examples
• Expanded, updated references
• Further historical material on figures besides Galois: Omar Khayyam, Vandermonde, Ruffini, and Abel
• A new final chapter discussing other directions in which Galois theory has developed: the inverse Galois problem, differential Galois theory, and a (very) brief introduction to p -adic Galois representations

This bestseller continues to deliver a rigorous, yet engaging, treatment of the subject while keeping pace with current educational requirements. More than 200 exercises and a wealth of historical notes augment the proofs, formulas, and theorems.

Review

"In mathematics, the fundamental theorem of Galois theory connects field theory and group theory, enabling certain mathematical problems in field theory to be reduced to group theory, making the problems simpler and easier to understand. The fifth updated edition of the textbook Galois Theory is an invaluable teaching text and resource for instructors of undergraduate mathematics students. Featuring more than 200 exercises and historical notes to enhance understanding of the proofs, formulas, and theorems, the fifth edition of Galois Theory is a "must-have" for university library mathematics collections, and highly recommended for instructors or for self-study"
- Midwest Books Review

Praise for the Previous Editions "… this book remains a highly recommended introduction to Galois theory along the more classical lines. It contains many exercises and a wealth of examples, including a pretty application of finite fields to the game solitaire. … provides readers with insight and historical perspective; it is written for readers who would like to understand this central part of basic algebra rather than for those whose only aim is collecting credit points."
―Zentralblatt MATH 1322

"This edition preserves and even extends one of the most popular features of the original edition: the historical introduction and the story of the fatal duel of Evariste Galois. … These historical notes should be of interest to students as well as mathematicians in general. … after more than 30 years, Ian Stewart’s Galois Theory remains a valuable textbook for algebra undergraduate students."
―Zentralblatt MATH, 1049

"The penultimate chapter is about algebraically closed fields and the last chapter, on transcendental numbers, contains ‘what-every-mathematician-should-see-at-least-once,’ the proof of transcendence of pi. … The book is designed for second- and third-year undergraduate courses. I will certainly use it."
―EMS Newsletter

About the Author

Ian Stewart is an emeritus professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick and a fellow of the Royal Society. Dr. Stewart has been a recipient of many honors, including the Royal Society’s Faraday Medal, the IMA Gold Medal, the AAAS Public Understanding of Science and Technology Award, and the LMS/IMA Zeeman Medal. He has published more than 210 scientific papers and numerous books, including several bestsellers co-authored with Terry Pratchett and Jack Cohen that combine fantasy with nonfiction.