The 90-year struggle to give calculus a rigorous foundation
In short: For nearly a century, the calculus of Newton and Leibniz lacked a formal logical basis. This video explores the intellectual journey from Bishop Berkeley's early critiques to the eventual birth of mathematical analysis.
In 1734, Bishop Berkeley launched a witty and effective attack on the foundations of calculus as it was then understood. It would take nearly 90 years for the field to achieve mathematical rigor.
The breakthrough came through the work of Augustin-Louis Cauchy. By formalizing the concept of a limit, Cauchy created the specialism of analysis, providing the stable framework that modern mathematics relies on today.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Ghosts of Departed Quantities: Calculus and its Limits - Professor Raymond Flood
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