El concepto de cálculo

Calculus

Who really discovered the Calculus? Many people think in Sir Isaac Newton but, this is true? During XVII century, Natural Philosophy (today known like Physics) and Mathematics were stopped because there were many problems without solutions, for example, if a particle has an accelerated motion, how can I calculate its speed in a specific time? The solution was the Calculus. With Calculus, the scientists were able to find the answer for this question and others. However, first book about Calculus was printed by Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz in 1684 and there begins our question because three years after Sir Isaac Newton published Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Physics), then who discovered the Calculus?

Sir Isaac Newton was working with Calculus since much time before Leibniz but Newton never published his ideas in the mathematical community, the Royal Society, because he was very angry with its president, Robert Hook; Newton had a proud personality maybe for his early genius. This situation was used, unconsciously, by Leibniz for printing his conclusions about Calculus in 1684, it means, Newton and Leibniz discovered independently the Calculus. Surprise! Any of both can be considered how Calculus’ discover. However, Newton accused Leibniz of plagiarism and both began a battle for the Calculus’ patent. Unfortunately, Leibniz died in 1716 and Newton and his Philosophae Naturalis Principia Mathematica “won” that controversy.

Today, the Calculus is a mixture of contributions of many mathemacians, for example, the usual Calculus’ notations are from Leibniz, some concepts and definitions are from Newton (acceleration, speed, etc.), many formulas and theorems are from Carl Friedrich Gauss, etc.

In conclusion, the Calculus was discovered for two big and important characters of mathematics, Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, every man by oneself. Maybe, in their time, they wanted to be famous for discovering the Calculus but I can say: ”without them actual Calculus wouldn’t exist” It very interesting Mathematics’ history, however, today young people think or see the mathematics like boring or very difficult but the mathematics, in my opinion, are a very beautiful world.

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