Fermat's ``adæquare -- no end in sight?

DOI10.1007/S00591-010-0083-5MaRDI QIDQ538499zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Klaus Barner

Publication date 25 May 2011

Published in Mathematische Semesterberichte (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s00591-010-0083-5

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

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

Review text

The paper is devoted to the analysis of two Latin verbs, ``aequare and ``adaequare, used by Fermat in his paper on the determination of maxima and minima and on the calculation of tangents. It is argued that Fermat made a subtle logical distinction between those words. The author shows also that Fermat's method may be justified even from the view of today's mathematical knowledge. This is done by using six selected examples.

Recommendations

• The mysteries of adaequare: A vindication of Fermat
• Fermat's analysis of extreme values and tangents
• The term `adaption' (παρισότης, adaequatio) in the work of Diophant and Fermat
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6999768
• Almost equal: the method of adequality from Diophantus to Fermat and beyond

Cites work

• A history of mathematics. With a foreword by Isaac Asimov
• Descartes' Diskussion der Fermatschen Extremwertmethode - ein Stück Ideengeschichte der Mathematik. (Descartes' discussion of Fermat's method of the extremal value - a piece of the history of ideas of mathematics)
• Fermat's maximum and minimum method
• Fermat's method of maxima and minima and of tangents. A reconstruction
• Fermat's method of tangents
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3661295 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1467310 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1765103 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 877108 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3415776 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3194501 (Why is no real title available?)
• Pierre Fermat's Method of Determining Tangents of Curves and Its Application to the Conchoid and the Quadratrix
• The mysteries of adaequare: A vindication of Fermat

Cited in

(6)

• Fermat's dilemma: Why did he keep mum on infinitesimals? and the European theological context
• Tools, objects, and chimeras: Connes on the role of hyperreals in mathematics
• The term `adaption' (παρισότης, adaequatio) in the work of Diophant and Fermat
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2078117 (Why is no real title available?)
• Cauchy's continuum
• Almost equal: the method of adequality from Diophantus to Fermat and beyond

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