"Discovery: Decimal Point Found in 1440s Merchant's Notes"
TL;DR Summary
Math historian Glen Van Brummelen discovered a decimal used to indicate tenths of a number in a 15th-century treatise, challenging the belief that German mathematician Christopher Clavius was the first to use decimals in a 1593 treatise. The treatise by Venetian merchant Giovanni Bianchini, using a base-10 system, marked a significant advancement in calculations, potentially influencing Clavius's work. This finding sheds new light on the history of decimals and their early usage in mathematical calculations.
- Math Historian Saw Decimals in 1440s Treatise and Freaked Out Newser
- Use of decimal point is 1.5 centuries older than historians thought Phys.org
- World's oldest known decimal point discovered in merchant's notes from 1440s Italy Livescience.com
- The Decimal Point Is 150 Years Older than Historians Thought Scientific American
- Use of decimal point 150 years older than historians thought Ynetnews
Reading Insights
Total Reads
0
Unique Readers
2
Time Saved
1 min
vs 2 min read
Condensed
78%
348 → 75 words
Want the full story? Read the original article
Read on Newser