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The decimal point is 150 years older than historians thought

Origin of the powerful calculation tool traced back to a mathematician from the Italian Renaissance.
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  1. Jo Marchant

    1. Jo Marchant is a freelance science writer based in London.

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The decimal point was invented around 150 years earlier than previously thought, according to an analysis of astronomical tables compiled by the Italian merchant and mathematician Giovanni Bianchini in the 1440s. Historians say that this discovery rewrites the origins of one of the most fundamental mathematical conventions, and suggests that Bianchini — whose economic training contrasted starkly with those of his astronomer peers — might have played a more notable part in the history of maths than previously realized. The results are published in Historia Mathematica1.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00473-2

References

  1. Van Brummelen, G. Hist. Math. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hm.2024.01.001 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

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