Abel niels henrik biography of george

Froland, Norway, 6 April He was a gifted and highly ambitious theologian, educated at the University of Copenhagen, which was at that time the only such institution in the united kingdom of Denmark-Norway. The couple had seven children, six sons and a daughter; Niels Henrik was their second child. The political situation in Norway was tense.

Because of its alliance with Denmark the country had been thrown into the Napoleonic Wars on the side of France, and a British blockade of the coast created widespread famine.

Niels henrik abel wife

Pastor Abel was prominent in the nationalistic movement, working for the creation of separate Norwegian institutions—particularly a university and a national bank—if not for outright independence. At the conclusion of the peace treaty of Kiel, Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. The Norwegians revolted and wrote their own constitution, But after a brief and futile war against the Swedes under Bernadotte, they were compelled to seek an armistice.

Niels Henrik Abel and his brothers received their first instruction from their father, but in Abel and his older brother were sent to the Cathedral School in Christiania Oslo. This was an old school to which many public officials in the province sent their children; some fellowships were available. The Cathedral School had been excellent, but was then at a low ebb, because most of its good teachers had accepted positions at the new university, which began instruction in Abel was only thirteen years old when he left home, and it seems probable that deteriorating family life expedited his departure.

During the first couple of years his marks were only satisfactory; then the quality of his work declined. His brother fared even worse; he began to show signs of mental illness and finally had to be sent home. The mathematics teacher mistreated one of the pupils, who died shortly afterward, possibly as a consequence of the punishment.

The teacher was summarily dismissed and his place was taken by Bernt Michael Holmboe, who was only seven years older than Abel. Holmboe also served as an assistant to Christoffer Hansteen, professor of astronomy and the leading scientist at the university.