Re: The Origin of Mathematics Symbols

From: Lester Zick (lesterDELzick_at_worldnet.att.net)
Date: 10/21/04 

Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 19:15:35 GMT

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 11:02:03 -0400, "robert j. kolker"
<nowhere@nowhere.net> in comp.ai.philosophy wrote:

>
>
>Lester Zick wrote:
>
>> This post was originally written six months ago but is still relevant.
>>
>> - LZ
>>
>> The Origin of Mathematics Symbols
>> --------------------------
>>
>> Let's indulge in a little historical speculation on the origin of
>> mathematical symbols.
>>
>> The math symbols [+ - = < >] have been in use in the west since the
>> late 15th century [-] to be followed subsequently by [+] by the early
>> 16th century. The equal sign [=] is noted by the mid 16th century and
>> the [< >] symbols around the first third of the 17th century. (The
>> reference for this is an article at ThinkQuest.org)
>
>These symbols (with the exception of = > and < ) are purely conventional.

So are the "+" for addition and the "-" symbol for subtraction or
difference. In fact in chronological terms the minus symbol takes
historical precedence, and my speculation is that etymologically
"+" just represents compound subtraction, "=" identification of
commutative properties etc.

>It just occured to me that O for zero i.e. nothing is a very natural and
>suggestive symbol. The hollow figure does suggest emptiness and
>nothingness.

I can agree with this. However 0 for zero is a collateral conceptual
development occuring long after basic arithmetic concepts emerged in
western science.

> Of course we know that zero is not nothing, it is the
>identity for the additive group. The same symbol or one very much like
>it represents the empty set. The mathematician C.S. Peirce used some
>schematic or quasi pictorgraphic symbols in his works on logic. They did
>not make the cut because they were not discursive (all in a line) and
>were not loved by the typesetting people. Now that we have computer
>generated symbols it seems that we could add to the mathematical
>repetoire suggestive or pictographic symbols. Somewhite like the circle
>through the integral sign indicating a line integral about a closed path.
>
>It would be very interesting to identify the symbols that, in some
>sense, "look like" the concepts they represent. We have a few already,
>to wit = > < O. To this I would add the arrow -> indicating approach as
>in limit or convergence. The arrow suggests "go this way".
>
>We take very pride in our phonetic alphabet but we use quite a few
>pictograms in every day activities. What about the red slash through
>some object meaning not or dismissal or the heart meaning love, as in I
><heart> New York?

Didn't the circle-slash originate with traffic signs? I can remember a
couple of guys who were 86'd from a bar with little signs containing
their names with a circle-slash around them. Quite amusing.

Regards - Lester

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Origin of Mathematics Symbols
    ... >Lester Zick wrote: ... The mathematician C.S. Peirce used some ... >some object meaning not or dismissal or the heart meaning love, ... Didn't the circle-slash originate with traffic signs? ...
    (sci.cognitive)
  • Re: Platonism
    ... Lester Zick wrote: ... i still regard you as a linguistic pervert. ... To a mathematician an ordered set ... I can well understand why a mathematician would reject ...
    (comp.theory)
  • Re: Platonism
    ... Lester Zick wrote: ... i still regard you as a linguistic pervert. ... To a mathematician an ordered set ... I can well understand why a mathematician would reject ...
    (sci.math)