Norwegian mathematician Neils Abel was responsible for huge advances in group theory which he studied as a tool to determine which kinds of equations can be solved directly by formulae. Following Abel's work, groups are used to describe, classify and unify mathematical objects including numbers, roots of equations, and the symmetry of objects, and find applications in mathematics, chemistry and physics far beyond their original field.
The groups which describe polynomial equations which can be solved directly, are called Abelian in Abel's honour. His analysis is recognised as versatile, elegant, and as providing powerful insights into diverse problems - qualities which we aspire to reflect in our own work.