Geometry and analysis in Anastácio da Cunha's calculus (Q6050208)

While Leonhard Euler and others tried to move away from geometrical interpretations and wanted to present analysis as a \textit{pure analytical} subject, Portuguese mathematician José Anastácio da Cunha in the 1780s relied on geometrical magnitudes. He was an admirer of Newton and criticized Euler's approach to analysis and his faith in algebra. The author of the present paper examines da Cunha's `fluxionary calculus' and shows that despite his criticism of Euler he was nevertheless heavily influenced by Euler's works.