Heaviside's Transformative Work on Maxwell's 17 Equations

[Buckeye]

A Question:

How was Heaviside able to convert Maxwell's 17 equations down to just 5, and why does Heaviside get ignored for doing so?

 

[Paulanddiw]

Heavyside invented vectors. Each Maxwell Equation in vector notation is 3 equations the way Maxwell originally did it.

Heavyside gets some credit for inventing vectors, but not all, because Gibbs (an American) invented them, independently, about the same time. Heavyside was a recluse and didn't communicate with hardly anyone and so, he wasn't aware that he was in danger of being scooped.