Symbology for differential and Integral Calculus in a historical perspective

Abstract

The objective is to identify the proposed notations for basic concepts of Calculus from the analysis of books and scientific articles by mathematicians and authors of mathematics books from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. The investigation answers the question: How were the symbols of CDI built, transformed and consolidated throughout the end of the seventeenth century and to the twentieth century? The method was the analytical bibliographic and the sources used the original texts of 26 mathematicians. The presentation of the notations, distribute them in three periods: 1) CDI notations in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; 2) CDI notations in the nineteenth century and 3) CDI notations of the twentieth century. I conclude in the 17th and 18th centuries, mathematicians demonstrated that they had doubts about which notation would be the most appropriate. In the 19th century, many contributions occurred to mathematical symbology, inadequate notations were forgotten, and in the 20th century, little was added to the notations that began to consolidate and are still used today.