The circulation of symbolic language in the Seventeenth century

• Autores: María Rosa Massa Esteve
• Localización: The Circulation of Science and Technology: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the European Society for the History of Science. Barcelona, 18-20 November 2010 / coord. por Antoni M. Roca Rosell , 2012, ISBN 978-84-9965-108-8, págs. 405-414
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This research on the symbolic language is framed within the context of a more extensive research concerning the transformations of mathematics and natural philosophy and their relationship between the fifteenth century and the seventeenth century.

    The publication in 1591 of In artem analyticen isagoge by François Viète (1540–1603) constituted an important step forward in the development of a symbolic language. As his work came to prominence at the beginning of the 17th century, other authors also began to consider the utility of symbolic language and algebraic procedures for solving all kinds of problems. Thus, symbolic language and its use in different forms became more widely disseminated, though this fact did not imply that it was generally accepted.

    In this paper, after presenting some examples of different reactions to the acceptance of symbolic language and algebraic procedures, such as those of Cavalieri, Barrow and Hobbes, I would like to analyze some examples of the connection between the transmission and reception of symbolic language and its appropriation by other scientists such as Hérigone and Mengoli or Mengoli and Leibniz. These analyses can provide new ideas for a better understanding of the algebraization of mathematics.