Developing into series and returning from series: A note on the foundations of eighteenth-century analysis (Q1399702)

In this 30-page `note' the authors review various methods used in the 18th century to expand a function in a power series, and conversely to find the sum function of such a series. Euler and Lagrange are the major figures; some of their methods are described in detail, and related to the issue of analysis versus synthesis. The bibliography omits a useful historical paper which overlaps with this one to some extent: \textit{J. E. Hofmann}, `Um Eulers erste Reihestudien', in K. Schröder (ed.), Sammelband zu Ehren des 250. Geburtstages Leonhard Eulers, Berlin, Akademie Verlag, 139-208 (1959; Zbl 0103.00501).