Most people have seen how to solve the quadratic equation ax² + bx + c = 0 by “completing the square” (or simply using the quadratic formula). In this talk we will discuss similar methods for solving the general cubic and quartic equations, as well as the situation for equations of degree greater than 4. Some of the colorful history and stories surrounding the discovery of these results will be mentioned.

Most of the talk should be accessible to anyone with a knowledge of high-school algebra.

USG funded