Who Discovered Calculus? 

Calculus is a mathematical tool for solving problems in science. It was developed and refined over the centuries. Historically, it has been believed that Newton was the first to discover and apply calculus. However, the truth is that the invention of calculus can be traced back to at least two individuals. 

(Looking for delta math answers key? Contact us today!)

One of these individuals was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who independently discovered calculus in the mid-1670s. His theory was one of the first of its kind, and was published in 1684. He was also the first to develop a proper notation for the concept. In fact, his calculus system was not only easier to use, but it also became the basis for the calculus we know and use today. 

Another individual who invented the calculus was the Greek mathematician, Democritus. Archimedes had invented a similar concept but his work was never fully developed. Barrow, Wallis, and Brounker had all made their own contributions to the field, although none of these men ever actually figured out how to calculate the area under a curve. 

While many people consider Leibnitz to have been the first to come up with the idea of calculus, many historians argue that it was not his accomplishment that was truly the first. Instead, the true inventor of the concept was Isaac Newton. This man is credited with being the first to publish a theoretical infinitesimal calculus. 

Although he claimed to have discovered the calculus before Leibnitz, it was Leibnitz who actually came up with a better system. Leibnitz also had the foresight to publish a full-length account of the methodology behind his work. The chart he devised was the first to describe the process of calculus, and his notation remained a common standard on the Continent for more than three centuries. 

According to Leibnitz, the calculus was discovered because he wanted to understand how God designed the world. But he had to get past Aristotle’s theories before he could accomplish this. To that end, he was taught Latin at a young age, and by the time he was 18, he had already begun to question the theories of the ancient philosopher. 

During his time, Leibnitz discovered several other interesting ideas, such as the tangent and the product rule for differentiation. He also invented a calculating machine, a device that was used to produce accurate results. Despite all of this, his calculus system was only six pages long, and was a bit obscure to understand. Nonetheless, it was the first to claim the d-dx notation for a fractional n, and he also wrote a product rule that defined the d-dx formula. 

Many scientists have tried to disprove the theory of Leibnitz’s discovery, and the evidence that has been collected over the years does not necessarily support their arguments. Nevertheless, the debate remains. Until now, most modern historians believe that Newton and Leibniz independently developed calculus. 

In 2007, a team of British researchers settled a centuries-old debate over who discovered calculus. C