In The Irrationals, the first popular and comprehensive book on the subject, Julian Havil tells the story of irrational numbers and the mathematicians who have tackled their challenges, from antiquity to the twenty-first century.
Nicholas realized he was powerless. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne on March 2, (according to the Russian Julian calendar; March 15 according to the western Gregorian calendar), in 1917. He signed an abdication document stepping down from the throne and nominating his brother Michael to succeed him.
By 1917, most Russians had lost faith in the leadership ability of Czar Nicholas II. Government corruption was rampant, the Russian economy remained backward, and Nicholas repeatedly dissolved the Duma, the Russian parliament established after the 1905 revolution, when it opposed his will.