On the short life and violent death of French mathematical prodigy Évariste Galois, who, “when he wasn’t trying to overthrow the government, was reinventing algebra.”
He mastered the entirety of contemporary mathematics while still at school, made fundamental advances in group theory at the age of 17—then took to drink, insulted his examiners, joined the National Guard, declared his desire to kill the king, spent 8 months in jail, fell in love, lost a duel, and died in 1832 at the age of 20.