All Questions
4,412
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Who are the youngest mathematicians that published an original research article in a peer-reviewed journal?
There a lot of intresting informations about young mathematicians, but I cannot find an information about the youngest mathematician that published an original research article in a peer-reviewed ...
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3
votes
4
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255
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Who wrote "projective geometry" for the first time?
I guess Desargues did not use that term. Anyone could help me know where did it appear for the first time? Thanks
- 1,791
3
votes
8
answers
423
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What are some famous named groups of scientists?
Scientists are often associated together and get famous group names. In physics, I know of
Via Panisperna boys (Enrico Fermi and co. working in Rome in nuclear physics)
Princeton string quartet (...
- 324
2
votes
0
answers
70
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What is Cardano trying to say in this passage of his Ars Magna Arithmeticæ?
It is well known that Cardano considered the problem of "dividing 10
into two parts the product of which is 40" in his Ars Magna. This problems leads to the complex solutions $5+ \sqrt{-15}$ ...
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6
votes
0
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143
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How did the concept of pH originate and develop?
Background & My research
To begin I did some research to find a few articles on the history of pH namely "The Symbol for pH" - William B. Jensen, "One-Hundred Years of pH" - ...
- 161
5
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2
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198
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Early helium spectrum measurements and their challenge for Bohr's quantum mechanics
My understanding is that explaining ortho- and para- helium spectral lines was a key motivation for Heisenberg's new quantum theory. For example, Birthwistle's 1928 "The New Quantum Mechanics&...
- 41
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0
answers
60
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In JJ Thomson's cathode ray experiment I need values for the electric field and magnetic field when net force on the cathode beam = 0
I asked here as well https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/177889/in-jj-thomsons-cathode-ray-experiment-why-is-effects-of-gravity-on-electron-not
https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/...
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3
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How did Eratosthenes determine that Alexandria and Syene were on the same meridian?
As discussed over here, Eratosthenes measured the earth’s circumference by comparing shadows cast at apparent noon at two locations separated by a known distance.
Although accounts of the event (like ...
4
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0
answers
109
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Is there existing footage of Stanislaw Mazur giving Per Enflo a live goose for solving the approximation problem?
There is a famous incident in the history of mathematics involving the mathematician Per Enflo being awarded a live goose by Stanislaw Mazur for solving problem 153 in the Scottish Book by ...
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0
answers
42
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Why is Power in an electric circuit equal to VI? [closed]
Where did this formula come from? Everyone I asked just told me to substitute values of in ohms law to derive this but no one told why is power equal to voltage * current. Part of the reason for this ...
- 1
3
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2
answers
135
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Dirac’s debt to Hamilton
According to Tobias Hurter’s popular exposition Too Big for a Single Mind (narrated in the present tense):
Dirac makes use of an elegant mathematical tool developed by the Irish mathematician William ...
- 511
3
votes
2
answers
157
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Seeking Comprehensive References on the History of Scientific Notation
I am on a quest to uncover the rich tapestry of history surrounding scientific notation as a way of expressing numbers. Specifically, I'm interested in scholarly books, peer-reviewed articles, and ...
- 358
4
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2
answers
226
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How did Scott and Amundsen detect the South Pole?
How did Scott and Amundsen detect the direction to the South Pole during their expedition? How did they determine the exact South Pole on reaching there?
Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott ...
- 47.4k
1
vote
0
answers
117
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How did someone discover LCM?
How did someone came up with an idea that if we do prime factorization of two numbers and then multiply all the prime factors but including common ones only once, we will get a number that is the ...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
152
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How did Emmy Noether become interested in abstract algebra?
Emmy Noether was initially interested in invariant theory. But how did she become interested in abstract algebra? And why did she become particularly interested in ring and ideal theory?
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6
votes
2
answers
641
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Origin of exact and closed differential expressions
In differential geometry and other fields, an expression involving differentials can be closed or exact. In $\mathbb R^2\setminus\{0\}$ for example, $dr$ is exact whereas $d\theta$ is closed but not ...
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Did Emmy Noether know quaternion? [closed]
I am looking at the quaternion, and it is said that this concept was invented by a man named 'William Rowan Hamilton' while taking a walk.
And I looked the properties of this concept, it is quite ...
- 14.3k
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0
answers
48
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Need a reference for Euler's velocity initial condition for the wave equation
In DOI: 10.4236/ahs.2020.94019 235 Advances in Historical Studies, p.234
D’Alembert and the Wave Equation: Its Disputes and Controversies, or https://www.scirp.org/pdf/ahs_2020112716312281.pdf p.6 of ...
- 2,147
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1
answer
73
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How did Schrödinger do quantum mechanics with wave functions?
On my way to learn about the very beginning of quantum mechanics and its different formulations, starting with Heisenberg infinite matrices and Schrödinger's wave functions, I can really not find till ...
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votes
1
answer
98
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Euclid's use of antenaresis and Heath's commentary
In Book 7, Prop. 1. Euclid uses repeated subtraction to prove that two numbers are relatively prime. As explained here the Greek word for repeated subtraction is "antenaresis". There isn't ...
- 10.1k
3
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2
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Who postulated the first Lagrangian for electrodynamics?
I am trying to find who first translated Maxwell's equations and Lorentz's force into the Lagrangian formalism. It seems a very straightforward thing to do if you know enough of electromagnetism and ...
- 324
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0
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30
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First recorded use of oxymel to treat wounds
What is the first recorded use of a mixure of honey and vinegar to treat wounds?
Cato the Elder indicates it was used during Roman times, but it's unclear if this was as a tonic or if it was used to ...
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0
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77
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Whence Whitehead's essence?
In the article Quine’s New Foundations of The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2019 Edition), Thomas Forster writes:
In [1944] Hailperin gave the first of a number of finite ...
23
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6
answers
7k
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What scientists and mathematicians were afraid to publish their findings?
Background
I am interested in scientists and mathematicians that were afraid to publish their findings during their lifetime, and to what degree such fears hinder scientific progress.
So far, I've ...
CommunityBot
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0
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29
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Asymptotically similar functions with opposite parity, were they considered, are they useful? Quasi-parabolas [closed]
So, can we transform an even function into an odd function and vice versa?
Let's consider this method:
Transformation even->odd:
Suppose $f_{even}(x)$ is a function which satisfies the following ...
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2
answers
4k
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Who coined the term "signal-to-noise ratio" and when did statisticians start using the term "noise" to describe randomness?
I'm writing about the history of the concept of noise and am having trouble tracking down references from when the term "noise" started being associated with statistical noise such as ...
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1
answer
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Was "potency set" used for power set?
Cross posted at Math Overflow
For historical reasons, the English term "power set" in set theory is a translation of the German "Potenzmenge", which is still in use in German ...
11
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1
answer
1k
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What was the motivation for the choice of the subset symbol?
I gather that the symbols $\subset$ and $\supset$ were introduced by Ernst Schröder in his 1890 Vorlesungen über die Algebra der Logik. This account also appears—attributed to good old Cajori—in an ...
- 73.1k
2
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1
answer
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Why aren't Nobel nomination archives updated more often?
I am not sure if this question is on topic here but I will give it a try. According to the Nobel Nomination archive official website, nomination data cannot be "revealed until 50 years later"...
- 2,678
9
votes
1
answer
178
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History of greater-than symbol used in reverse?
I was surprised to find that Oliver Byrne's 1847 marvelous The Elements of Euclid (color version)1 uses $\sqsubset$ to mean "greater than" and $\sqsupset$ to mean "less than,"
in ...
- 73.1k
4
votes
2
answers
375
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Reference request: What were the problems of accepting zero, negative numbers, and complex numbers? And how were they solved?
I asked this question on MSE and comments suggested I should ask it here
I am currently reading Baby Rudin as my second analysis book (after Introduction to Real Analysis by Robert G. Bartle and ...
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1
answer
155
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Did Einstein really explain Relativity using the hot stove/pretty girl analogy and if so why?
I am pretty sure that Albert Einstein explained special relativity by saying in effect, sitting on a hot stove for a minute can seem like an hour; sit with a pretty girl for an hour and it might seem ...
- 225
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The Langevin twins
When did exactly the Langevin twins occur in relativity?
My first idea was to simply look up Langevin's original paper (in 1911), but he never mentions them to be twins :
our traveller would need ...
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6
answers
332
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Examples of mathematicians who applied to patent their work
MIT's RSA encryption was granted a patent although it was not enforced for non-commercial applications. Similarly for Stanford's PGP encryption algorithm. However, these are institutions rather than ...
- 4,952
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1
answer
2k
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Did Newton know about non-inertial frames?
When answering a Physics.SE question, I made a claim that Newton realized that $F=ma$ worked in some frames, which are called "inertial frames." Nowadays, we know that there are non-...
- 73.1k
3
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1
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Finite fields as quotients
Although finite fields are usually introduced as field extensions of fields of prime order, they also arise as quotients of number rings; e.g., $GF(9)$ comes from taking the Gaussian integers mod 3 ...
- 5,147
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0
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Reference request: What were the problems of accepting zero, negative numbers, and complex numbers? And how were they solved? [duplicate]
I didn't know that can happen and since I already asked the question here I don't know what to do with this question should I delete it ?
I am currently reading Baby Rudin as my second analysis book (...
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22
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1
answer
8k
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Is it true that Albert Einstein was kicked out of high school due to his "peacefulness"?
In an interview I recently saw with Joseph Agassi he said that:
...The teachers that kicked him out asked that it be written in his [Einstein's] report card that they have no complaint against him. ...
5
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1
answer
155
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Seeking Source of this Pythagorean Quote "Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons."
I've encountered the quote "Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons," which is frequently attributed to Pythagoras. My objective is to ascertain the ...
- 1,791
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1
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3k
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Did Newton say: "If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been due more to patient attention, than to any other talent"?
I came across the above quote, and found it quite interesting. However, I struggled to find an actual source. Did Newton truly say this?
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2
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202
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Why energy rate did not replace power = Force times velocity?
After reading the history of horse power (and power), the physical definitions for them and after testing the theory in rally races, I'm curious what were the reasons for selecting this word (power) ...
- 1,715
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1
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Book on the evolution of Quantum Theory
Can anyone recommend some good book(s) on the Evolution of Quantum Theory, focusing on history, not necessarily on explaining the technical/math part?
The books I have read so far,
"Quantum: ...
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2
votes
1
answer
206
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Request: Readers to Check Accuracy of the History in my Young Adult Math Story
I'm writing a young adult math story, Althea and the Mystery of the Imaginary Numbers.
Her mom tells her about Scipione del Ferro, Antonio Fior, Tartaglia, Cardano, and Ferrari. And they do some math ...
3
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0
answers
126
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How did Hindu-Arabic Numerals get their shapes?
I’ve noticed a recurring post on social media that presents an image suggesting the shapes of Hindu-Arabic numerals are connected to the angles within their design:
This claim seems dubious to me.
I ...
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1
answer
146
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Did anyone apply for a patent based on sphere packing?
Some while ago we had a question about mathematicians patenting their work Examples of mathematicians who applied to patent their work I was about to answer when I realised I needed to find a ...
- 547
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0
answers
134
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Error-correcting codes based on Galois fields
I seem to recall reading that some French mathematician (perhaps a member of Bourbaki?) came up with the idea of basing error-correcting codes on Galois fields quite early in the development of ...
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16
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Examples of when the professional scientists or mathematicians were wrong, but the nonprofessionals were right
What are the most glaring examples — if any — of when the professional scientists or mathematicians were wrong, but the nonprofessionals were right?
- 1,039
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1
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Is it true that before Milton Friedman, "no one believed that inflation was mainly a monetary phenomenon"?
Russ Roberts (host of EconTalk podcast) claimed on his (2021-08-16) podcast:
Before he [Milton Friedman] came along, ... no one believed that inflation was mainly a monetary phenomenon.
His guest ...
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3
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Where does the term elasticity (of a function) come from?
Elasticity of a function is a mathematical concept that is widely used in economics. In particular, price elasticity of demand or supply. But generally elasticity in economics is the measurement of ...
- 899
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votes
1
answer
55
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What laser technology/ies were first used to bounce off of the Apollo 11 retroreflectors to accurately measure distance to the Moon?
Wikipedia's Lunar Laser Ranging Experiments; History mentions the first lasers ever bounced off the whole Moon were in 1962, and probably both the US and Soviet groups used Q-switched ruby lasers.
In ...
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