The Calculus Controversy or lack thereof
Throughout the seventeenth century and into the eighteenth century, there was a widely publicized controversy involving two great mathematicians; the German, Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, and Englishmen, Sir Issac Newton. For over a century England and Germany argued over which homesung hero had indeed discovered calculus. What both nations refused to admit, however, was that niether of the two thinkers truly invented calculus. For the act of discovering or inventing anything is a pain-staking process that an indivdiual 'inventor' does not complete on his own. Both men simply made advancements in the field of Mathematics that would not have been found without the intial findings of the egyptians, Archimdees, and Euclid among others. Ultimately, there is no use pondering the question of whom discovered caluclus, for that has no clear answer. Rather, it is more significant to look at the pathetic decline in English Mathematics, as a result of an entire stubborn generation of Mathematicians attempting to prove Newtons legacy. In order to get the full impact of the ridiclousness of the controversy, one must take a indepth look at the scenerio surrounding it. Unaware that Newton was reported to have discovered similar methods, L
As the outcome of the disgraceful priority dispute, mathematicians in England lagged behind mathematicians in other parts of Europe throughout much of the eighteenth century. The first advancement in mathematicians and calculus can be credited to the Egyptians, in that they discovered the rule for the volume of a pyramid and approximation of the area of a circle. (Mathematicians) Another Greek, Euclid, developed ideas supporting the theory of calculus, but the logic basis was not sustained since infinity and continuity weren't established yet (Boyer 47). Newton and Leibniz tapped into the unlimited potential that is mathematics. Algebra is not useful to find areas under a curve, unlike calculus, which allows people to work with continuously, vary quantities of figures. Taking this into account the controversy becomes even more ridiculous. The great thinkers of our time are all linked by the common bond of advancing our culture. Later, Greeks made tremendous discoveries. Furthermore, he worked with sums and differences of sequences to determine tangents, which is an important idea at the core of calculus. Newton did not publish his findings until 1687. Previous to Newton's discovery, rectangles were used to find area, though the estimated area was always too little or too much; calculus allowed these rectangles to be infinitely thin(Integration). Accusations of plagiarism began to be hurled relentlessly in the direction of Leibniz, with speculation that Leibniz may have gotten his hands on Newton's manuscripts on fluxions, sparking his understanding of calculus. There is never one sole person to thank, but rather a combined effort in which society should undoubtedly appreciate. Newton's inability to get his information out to the public at this time, proves to be the major spark to the controversy. Evidence also shows that Newton was the first to establish the general method called the "theory of fluxions", as well as the first to state the fundamental theorem of calculus and was also the first to explore applications of both integration and differentiation in a single work (Struik, 1948).
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Acceptance Essays
