Introduction:
A big day indeed for Mathematics by the only Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716). We owe so much to Leibniz for the notation that we use today for Calculus. His representation of the derivative as a ratio superseded the inappropriate (putting it nicely) note of Isaac Newton (1643-1727), who used y(dot). There are remnants of this notation still in use today when one studies mechanics but this is only to pay homage to Newton.
Leibniz and Newton:
The fact that Leibniz published his work on calculus many years before Newton did, that it was in use in Europe long before Newton’s version was, and that Newton exclusively shared his work with his closest associates are little-known facts. On discovering that Leibniz had published the “beast”, Newton awoke and took vengeance upon him. Newton claimed that when Leibniz visited him years previously, he showed him his discovery of Calculus. Leibniz took this knowledge, rewrote it using his notation, and published it as his own.
First Law of Motion:
The irony is that Newton presented his work commencing with the derivative as he was using his technique to extend and elucidate the work of the Great Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) and Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) in determining velocities and accelerations (perhaps it is also not so well known that Newton’s first law of motion on inertia was well known to Galileo but that is for another post). The “Calculus Wars” began between British and European mathematicians over Leibnizian notation.
Calculus War:
Leibniz started with integrals, represented by an elongated S, which later became the integral sign. In 1715, a hearing was held at the Royal Society to determine the inventor of Calculus while Newton was its president. It was agreed that Newton was the creator, and Leibniz had used his ideas on that fateful day. The “Calculus Wars” began between British and European mathematicians over Leibnizian notation. The Calculus Wars by Jason Bardi is an excellent book on these wars.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Leibniz passed away in abject poverty due to his regrettable interactions with Isaac. At the same time, Newton was interred as a knight of the realm in total splendour at Westminster Abbey. Robert Hooke, who popularized the term “cell,” was surprised when Isaac Newton claimed credit for the inverse square gravitational law.
