In algebraic geometry a generalized Jacobian is a commutative algebraic group associated to a curve with a divisor, generalizing the Jacobian variety of a complete curve. They were introduced by Maxwell Rosenlicht in 1954, and can be used to study ramified coverings of a curve, with abelian Galois group. Generalized Jacobians of a curve are extensions of the Jacobian of the curve by a commutative affine algebraic group, giving nontrivial examples of Chevalley's structure theorem.