Chinenyenwa Amaechi
Dahiya
AP Calculus
16 October 2015
Every student who has ever asked an older adult for help with their math homework is very familiar with the phrase “This is not the type of math I did growing up”. The mathematics we have today greatly differs from that of earlier generations and time periods due to the dynamic nature of this field of study. Throughout history, many important individuals have contributed to the field of mathematics and have helped develop the theories, postulates and mathematical rules which are widely accepted today. From the quadratic formula to the trigonometric functions, these people have revolutionized the way we view mathematics in unimaginable ways. Some of these important figures include Pierre …show more content…
Known as the father of modern philosophy and the founder of analytic geometry, Descartes was the first to plot equations on a graph. He made curves a less frightening part of mathematics by developing the x-y plane which was officially deemed the Cartesian Coordinate Plane in his honor. After his death in 1649, Descartes’ 106-page essay titled La géométrie which was the first printed account of what we know now as coordinates or analytic geometry (C.H. Edwards). In many books he wrote, Descartes wrote very small alphabets in front of numbers which suggests his use of variables and constants. He also created the use of superscripted numerals to depict the powers of a number or quantity; Descartes occasionally wrote aa for the second power, a2. In addition to these wonderful contributions, Descartes also utilized geometry to find the slope of the line tangent to a curve and the equation of such a lines and is known for creating popular symbols such as +, -, and the square root symbol which can be seen in many of his writings (C.H. …show more content…
Mathematics is a dynamic field of study that is constantly changing as a result of the many individuals who have dedicated time and energy to improving it. Pierre de Fermat, Isaac Newton, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and Rene Descartes are just a select few of the mathematicians who have molded mathematics into the subject we know today. Without them, mathematics would still be based off following extremely strict lists of steps with no interesting aspects or space to explore and discover new ideas. The mathematics we study today is completely different from that which our predecessors studied, and with individuals who possess the same determination and passion as those previously mentioned, this subject will continue to grow and
Dahiya
AP Calculus
16 October 2015
Every student who has ever asked an older adult for help with their math homework is very familiar with the phrase “This is not the type of math I did growing up”. The mathematics we have today greatly differs from that of earlier generations and time periods due to the dynamic nature of this field of study. Throughout history, many important individuals have contributed to the field of mathematics and have helped develop the theories, postulates and mathematical rules which are widely accepted today. From the quadratic formula to the trigonometric functions, these people have revolutionized the way we view mathematics in unimaginable ways. Some of these important figures include Pierre …show more content…
Known as the father of modern philosophy and the founder of analytic geometry, Descartes was the first to plot equations on a graph. He made curves a less frightening part of mathematics by developing the x-y plane which was officially deemed the Cartesian Coordinate Plane in his honor. After his death in 1649, Descartes’ 106-page essay titled La géométrie which was the first printed account of what we know now as coordinates or analytic geometry (C.H. Edwards). In many books he wrote, Descartes wrote very small alphabets in front of numbers which suggests his use of variables and constants. He also created the use of superscripted numerals to depict the powers of a number or quantity; Descartes occasionally wrote aa for the second power, a2. In addition to these wonderful contributions, Descartes also utilized geometry to find the slope of the line tangent to a curve and the equation of such a lines and is known for creating popular symbols such as +, -, and the square root symbol which can be seen in many of his writings (C.H. …show more content…
Mathematics is a dynamic field of study that is constantly changing as a result of the many individuals who have dedicated time and energy to improving it. Pierre de Fermat, Isaac Newton, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and Rene Descartes are just a select few of the mathematicians who have molded mathematics into the subject we know today. Without them, mathematics would still be based off following extremely strict lists of steps with no interesting aspects or space to explore and discover new ideas. The mathematics we study today is completely different from that which our predecessors studied, and with individuals who possess the same determination and passion as those previously mentioned, this subject will continue to grow and