Mazur (Euclid in the Rainforest) gives readers the fascinating history behind the mathematical symbols we use, and completely take for granted, every day. Mathematical notation turns numbers into ...

Professor Raúl Rojas has published a book about how symbols have been used throughout history in mathematics. The work was translated into English this year.

STONE RIDGE >> “Writing the History of Mathematical Notation: 1483-1700 (Docent Press, 2015),” coedited by Douglas Furman, an associate professor of mathematics, coordinator of the Math Collegian ...

The use of '=' to mean 'equals' is one of those minor advances in mathematics that we take for granted. It's so small that we don't really think about it. But Joseph Mazur, the author of Enlightening ...

THE invention of the decimal notation, which involves the use of zero and the assignment of local value to digits, made such an immense alteration in the character of arithmetical calculations that it ...

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED His only option, he decided, was to ...

Before the 16th century, most math equations were written as metered verse. Thank god for graphic-design-inclined mathematicians.