While all of us regularly use basic math symbols such as those
for plus, minus, and equals, few of us know that many of these
symbols weren't available before the sixteenth century. What did
mathematicians rely on for their work before then? And how did
mathematical notations evolve into what we know today? In
"Enlightening Symbols," popular math writer Joseph Mazur explains
the fascinating history behind the development of our mathematical
notation system. He shows how symbols were used initially, how one
symbol replaced another over time, and how written math was
conveyed before and after symbols became widely adopted.
Traversing mathematical history and the foundations of numerals
in different cultures, Mazur looks at how historians have disagreed
over the origins of the numerical system for the past two
centuries. He follows the transfigurations of algebra from a
rhetorical style to a symbolic one, demonstrating that most algebra
before the sixteenth century was written in prose or in verse
employing the written names of numerals. Mazur also investigates
the subconscious and psychological effects that mathematical
symbols have had on mathematical thought, moods, meaning,
communication, and comprehension. He considers how these symbols
influence us (through similarity, association, identity,
resemblance, and repeated imagery), how they lead to new ideas by
subconscious associations, how they make connections between
experience and the unknown, and how they contribute to the
communication of basic mathematics.
From words to abbreviations to symbols, this book shows how math
evolved to the familiar forms we use today.
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