Ramble, Part 25: The Coming of Calculus

Calculus did not spring full-grown from Newton's brow; the century or so preceding the publication of Principia mathematica brought forth many of the elements of calculus, at least in rudimentary form. Problems of tangency, of optimization, of approximation, and of the computation of areas were all being discussed, and the crucial connection between tangents and areas had been recognized before Newton's work. The details are under the cut.

( Bits and Pieces )

Ramble Contents

Birthdays

Happy birthday, daveamongus!

The Great Wall

It's annoying, but forgiveable, when Terry Pratchett does it. Pratchett is, after all, a writer of fantasy, and not someone you would consult on matters of historical fact.

It's more than annoying when James Wimberley, writing at a serious and generally worthwhile political blog, does it in order to make a point about contemporary politics.

I'm talking about making silly statements about the Great Wall of China. The rant is under the cut.

( DE-FENSE! )