Overview

During the Renaissance in Western Europe, a rediscovery and advancement of classical mathematics laid the foundation for the empiricism of the Scientific Revolution. One of the pillars of this intellectual reawakening in mathematics was the increased use of mathematical symbols that enabled scholars to communicate with each other more easily and accurately across geographical, national, and linguistic boarders.

Background

Although the use of symbols in mathematical operations dates to antiquity, scholars often differ in the awarding of credit for the first use of mathematical symbols. For example, according to some interpretations based on extant archaeological evidence, some scholars credit ancient Egyptian civilizations with the use of specific symbols for the operation of addition and with a symbol that denoted equality. Other scholars cite the first use of such symbols...