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Nov 29, 1535
Niccolò Fontana Tartaglia
Introduced the cubic function of the form ax3+bx2+cx+d. This equation explains how there are three roots and two paths on the graph. Also known as where it crosses the x axis and changes in direction. -
François Viète's
At this time in the late 16th century, "New Algebra" was introduced. -
René Descartes
Descartes introduced Geometry to the world, including a new form of modern algebraic notation. The first thing he did was describe what two points on the graph of a horizontal and vertical line mean. These are now known as the Cartesian Coordinates of (x,y). -
Blaise Pascal
Mainly known for Pascal's Triangle, which consists of binomial expressions that are raised to the power such as (x + y)2. -
Gottfried Leibniz
By this time, it is almost the 17th century where the term function was introduced. Leibniz described a quantity related to a curve. This curve as we know is known as the curve's slope at a specific point. Leibniz also found "the matrix" which is used in linear equations. -
Sir Isaac Newton
Newton has three laws of motion and looks at the distances or averages between point a and point b on a graph. He introduced the word "differentiation" that shows the rates on the curve and changes the values of x and y.Newton was one of the first to use fractional exponents and coordinate geometry, developing "Newtons Method" which was used to find approximations to the zeroes or roots of the functions. -
Johann Bernoulli
At this time, Bernoulli came up with what to call functions. He looked at the experssions with a single variable and decided to call this the function of "x". By 1718 he came up with a small definition for the fucntion of x "any expression made up of a variable and some constants". -
Leonhard Euler
Funtions were futher looked into by Euler. He introduced the function notation of f(x)=y, trigonometric functions, the letter e for the base of the natural logarithm, the Greek letter Σ for summations and the letter i to indicate the imaginary unit. Euler also introduced the letter " π" that we use in many equations.
