20 mathematical symbols and their origin
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+plus signca. 1360 (abbreviation for Latin et resembling the plus sign)Nicole Oresme−minus sign1489 (first appearance of minus sign, and also first appearance of plus sign in print)Johannes Widmann√radical symbol (for square root)1525 (without the vinculum above the radicand)Christoff Rudolff(…)parentheses (for precedence grouping)1544 (in handwritten notes)Michael Stifel1556Niccolò Tartaglia=equals sign1557Robert Recorde×multiplication sign1618William Oughtred±plus-minus sign1628∷proportion signn√
radical symbol (for nth root)1629Albert Girard<
>strict inequality signs (less-than sign and greater-than sign)1631Thomas Harriotxy
superscript notation (for exponentiation)1636 (using Roman numerals as superscripts)James Hume1637 (in the modern form)René Descartes√ ̅radical symbol (for square root)1637 (with the vinculum above the radicand)René Descartes%percent signca. 1650unknown÷division sign (a.k.a. obelus)1659Johann Rahn∞infinity sign1655John Wallis≤
≥unstrict inequality signs (less-than or equals to sign and greater-than or equals to sign)1670 (with the horizontal bar over the inequality sign, rather than below it)1734 (with double horizontal bar below the inequality sign)Pierre Bouguerddifferential sign1675Gottfried Leibniz∫integral sign:colon (for division)1684 (deriving from use of colon to denote fractions, dating back to 1633)·middle dot (for multiplication)1698 (perhaps deriving from a much earlier use of middle dot to separate juxtaposed numbers)⁄division slash (a.k.a. solidus)1718 (deriving from horizontal fraction bar, invented by Arabs in the 12th century)Thomas Twining≠inequality sign (not equal to)unknownLeonhard Euler∑summation symbol1755∝proportionality sign1768William Emerson∂partial differential sign (a.k.a. curly d or Jacobi's delta)1770Marquis de Condorcetx′prime symbol (for derivative)Joseph Louis Lagrange≡identity sign (for congruence relation)1801 (first appearance in print; used previously in personal writings of Gauss)Carl Friedrich Gauss[x]integral part (a.k.a. floor)1808∏product symbol1812!factorial1808Christian Kramp⊂
⊃set inclusion signs (subset of, superset of)1817Joseph Gergonne1890
radical symbol (for nth root)1629Albert Girard<
>strict inequality signs (less-than sign and greater-than sign)1631Thomas Harriotxy
superscript notation (for exponentiation)1636 (using Roman numerals as superscripts)James Hume1637 (in the modern form)René Descartes√ ̅radical symbol (for square root)1637 (with the vinculum above the radicand)René Descartes%percent signca. 1650unknown÷division sign (a.k.a. obelus)1659Johann Rahn∞infinity sign1655John Wallis≤
≥unstrict inequality signs (less-than or equals to sign and greater-than or equals to sign)1670 (with the horizontal bar over the inequality sign, rather than below it)1734 (with double horizontal bar below the inequality sign)Pierre Bouguerddifferential sign1675Gottfried Leibniz∫integral sign:colon (for division)1684 (deriving from use of colon to denote fractions, dating back to 1633)·middle dot (for multiplication)1698 (perhaps deriving from a much earlier use of middle dot to separate juxtaposed numbers)⁄division slash (a.k.a. solidus)1718 (deriving from horizontal fraction bar, invented by Arabs in the 12th century)Thomas Twining≠inequality sign (not equal to)unknownLeonhard Euler∑summation symbol1755∝proportionality sign1768William Emerson∂partial differential sign (a.k.a. curly d or Jacobi's delta)1770Marquis de Condorcetx′prime symbol (for derivative)Joseph Louis Lagrange≡identity sign (for congruence relation)1801 (first appearance in print; used previously in personal writings of Gauss)Carl Friedrich Gauss[x]integral part (a.k.a. floor)1808∏product symbol1812!factorial1808Christian Kramp⊂
⊃set inclusion signs (subset of, superset of)1817Joseph Gergonne1890
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