scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1424098

Publication date 12 November 2000

analogy definition of integers and magnitudes and their addition homogeneity Leibniz number concept ratio relation

Philosophy of mathematics (00A30) History of mathematics in the 17th century (01A45)

The author analyses three hitherto unpublished manuscripts of Leibniz in comparison with published mathematical papers. In these manuscripts Leibniz made various attempts to give basic definitions of the concepts of magnitudes, integers, and the elementary operations of addition and subtraction. Magnitude, for instance, for Leibniz had both a geometrical and an algebraic (numeric) aspect which caused him to try various definitions. Magnitudes are composed of parts. Integers are a collection of units but may be represented by line segments as well as by letters. The author argues that Leibniz attempted to comprise both aspects in his definitions. This forced him to ponder about the concepts of identity and equality and, inter alia, to formulate as `non-demonstrable axiom': ``unumquodque sibi ipsi aequale esse. Alternatively, in one of the papers Leibniz dealt with magnitudes on a purely formal basis, without reference either to geometrical figures (such as line segments) or to numbers. Therefore concepts such as homogeneity, relation, and ratio are also discussed by him in this context. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0930.00034].

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