The signs as used in the earliest civilizations

The plus and minus signs (+ and −) are mathematical symbols used to represent operations of addition and subtraction as well as the notions of the positive and negative. Moreover, the Plus and Minus are Latin terms meaning ²more² and ²less² respectively. The origins of these two symbols date back to the Egyptian hieroglyphics where they used symbols which resembled ²a pair of walking legs², either walking away or towards, representing addition or subtraction. Similarly, just like the Greeks, the Hindus too, did not have a particular sign for addition and subtraction. Many a times, they used ²yu² to mark addition. ²Yu² was used in the Bakhshali manuscript arithmetic, belonging to the period of 3^rd or 4^th century. In the early 15th century Europe, it was noted that ²P² and ²M² were used for the same.

Early recorded history of the signs

It has been recorded that the sign ²+² has its origin from the Latin word ²et² which meant ²and². Nicole d’Oresme, astronomer and author of the book, The Book of the Sky and the World in 14^th century, used the ²+² sign as a shorthand for the word ²et². The use of the ²-² sign was first recorded in the year 1481, from a manuscript of German algebra located in Dresden Library. Johannes Widman, the famous German mathematician, published the first printed book named Mercantile Arithmetic in Leipzig in 1489, where he used the ²+² and ²-² signs. The beginning of 17^th century also saw the usage of these two symbols by mathematicians Cavalieri and Gloriosi as well as astronomer Christopher Clavius.

But it was Robert Recorde, the acclaimed Welsh mathematician and designer of the equal (=) sign, who introduced to Britain in 1557 the same Plus and Minus that we’ve been using till now.

It seems there were different versions of these signs used by various people, but it was Robert Recorde who gave us the signs that we use till now, passed generations after generations before being accepted universally.

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