History of Calculus by Leibniz

Who is Leibniz?

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German mathematician in the late 17th century who is widely credited with the discovery of calculus
• His notation is still used in Calculus today, and remains one of the most widely used methods for calculus

Discovery of Calculus

• Leibniz discovered calculus in the mid 1670s, and published his work in 1684, approximately a decade later
• His pioneered calculus involved limits, continuity, integrals, derivatives, and infinite series.

Newton vs. Leibniz

• Newton and Leibniz were both developing calculus at the same time, but separately
• Neither of them knew about the other's advances due to lack of technology and extreme geological distances between the two mathematicians

Leibniz's Notation

• Leibniz is known for using the variables "dx" and "dy" to represent infinitely small increments in x and y, respectively
• These infinitesimal increments are known as differentials and are essential in calculus as we know it today
• This form of calculus allows many types of practical problems to be used (related rates, optimization)

Leibniz will go down in history as one of the most influential inventors of calculus. His work allows for mathematics and physics to be taken much further, helping humanity understand the nature of our universe.