Quote:
"As a student, frustrated by the limitations of conventional mathematics, he (Newton) invented an entirely new form, the calculus, but then told no one about it for twenty-seven years."
Is this the same calculus that we are learning now, or is this something that only he used?
Comment:
I was curious to know if this is the same calculus that we use today. Thinking of Newton and all of these other great mathematicians as students is something that I find rather funny since I typically only think of them as older, well-established thinkers. So to think of Newton as a student who was bored with school is sort of ironic in some ways. Then to think that he might have created one of our largest and most complex areas of study when it comes to math while he was sitting in a classroom, it's very inspiring.
What really struck me at this point was why did Newton keep it a secret for so long? It really opens a window into scientists ideals and how they functioned. Maybe he was afraid he wouldn't get credit for it. Who knows? I was also curious as to the evolution of calculus. How has it changed since Newton first completed it?
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