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Example of a polynomial equation, studied in elementary algebra

Algebra is the branch of mathematics that studies certain abstract systems, known as algebraic structures, and the manipulation of statements within these systems. Elementary algebra generalizes arithmetic by using variables in addition to numbers. It covers methods of transforming equations to solve them by isolating variables. Linear algebra examines systems of several linear equations and techniques to determine for which values all equations in a system are true at the same time. Abstract algebra investigates algebraic structures, which consist of a set of objects together with operations defined on that set. It distinguishes algebraic structures, such as groups, rings, and fields, based on their number of operations and the laws they follow. Algebraic methods were first studied in ancient times to solve specific problems. As algebra evolved, it became increasingly abstract and generalized, leading to many applications in other branches of mathematics and the empirical sciences. (Full article...)

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Scene from Orphan Rescues Grandfather

... that Zhou Jianyun pawned his wife's jewellery to make Orphan Rescues Grandfather (scene pictured), saving his studio?
... that Verificado 2018 was a fact-checking collaboration between at least 90 organizations to counter disinformation during the 2018 Mexican federal election?
... that Tommy Suggs recommended using Also sprach Zarathustra as his college football team's entrance music, because he saw Elvis Presley do it first?
... that "unusual choices" at Liliget Feast House included wind-dried salmon and pan-fried oolichans?
... that Rada Dyson-Hudson was denied academic tenure at Johns Hopkins University and Cornell University despite her academic record and capabilities?
... that the Jiangwan Racecourse hosted horse races, a golf club, and prisoners of war?
... that a manuscript of the New Testament was bound in the wrong order, which a scholar decried: "the bookbinder has messed everything up"?
... that Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi was a fan of the series as a child?
... that the backflip ban in figure skating was lifted in 2024 alongside other "somersault type jumps"?

In the news (For today)

Gukesh Dommaraju

Gukesh Dommaraju (pictured) defeats Ding Liren to win the World Chess Championship.
Syrian rebel forces capture Damascus following multiple offensives as overthrown president Bashar al-Assad flees to Russia.
Notre-Dame de Paris reopens following reconstruction after the 2019 fire.
The first round of the Romanian presidential election is annulled by the Constitutional Court following allegations of Russian electoral interference.

On the previous day

December 12: Beginning of the Yule Lads' arrival in Iceland

George W. Bush

627 – At the Battle of Nineveh, the Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeated the forces of Sasanian emperor Khosrow II, commanded by Rhahzadh, near present-day Mosul, Iraq.
1936 – Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped by Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang, a former warlord of Manchuria.
1988 – Three trains collided near Clapham Junction railway station in London, killing 35 people and injuring 484 others.
2000 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bush v. Gore that the recount of ballots cast in Florida for the presidential election be stopped, effectively making George W. Bush (pictured) the winner.
2021 – At the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap to become World Drivers' Champion.

Geoffrey (d. 1212)
Edvard Munch (b. 1863)
Ikuhiko Hata (b. 1932)
Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi (d. 2021)

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Yesterday's featured picture

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (born 12 December 1948) is a Portuguese politician and academic. He has been the 20th and current president of Portugal since 9 March 2016. As a member of the Social Democratic Party, he previously served as a minister and parliamentarian in the Assembly of the Republic. This photograph of Rebelo de Sousa was taken in 2017 at Web Summit, an annual technology conference held in Lisbon.

Photograph credit: João Pedro Correia

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