Heaviside and the development of the symbolic calculus (Q1092022)

This paper treats the symbolic or operational method pioneered by O. Heaviside in solving certain types of ordinary and partial differential equations. A survey of the symbolic and operational solutions developed by Cauchy, Gregory and Boole is given. There are several illustrations of operational and power series method in obtaining solutions of differential equations (both ordinary and partial, linear) without taking recourse to integration. Heaviside obtained his solutions by the symbolic method without rigorously justifying its validity, nevertheless it was useful in many applications especially in electrical engineering at that time and even today. This paper is interesting to read and serves as a good addition to the historical and expository literature.