Integral symbol

1. Dec 6, 2004

ascky

What is the actual name for the integral symbol? I know it was first used by Leibniz, but did he actually call it anything...? It's really hard trying to convince my friends the integral symbol is the sexiest thing ever invented, when I don't even know her true name.

2. Dec 6, 2004

chroot

Staff Emeritus
It's called an integral symbol. Sorry to disappoint.

- Warren

3. Dec 6, 2004

ascky

Grrr... I knew it.

4. Dec 6, 2004

futb0l

Lol - the "sexiest" thing ever invented.

5. Dec 6, 2004

HallsofIvy

Staff Emeritus
My father called it a "sea horse"!

6. Dec 6, 2004

dextercioby

It's somthing devious here.If Leibniz invented it,and from what i know the story goes that he wanted to mix the Latin and Greek letters for S,then what would S mean...??My guess is that it would have to do with the sum
$$\sum f(x)dx$$,since both Riemann and Darboux lived well after Leibniz,right??

7. Dec 6, 2004

elote

"The symbol $$\int_{a}^{b} f(x)dx$$ reminds us that an integral is a limit of sums (the integral sign is an old-fashioned S) of terms of the form $$f(x)$$ times a small difference of $$x$$."

-Hughes Hallett. calculus, single variable

so the integral sign is an s which stands for "sum"

Last edited: Dec 6, 2004
8. Dec 6, 2004

hypermorphism

The symbol is also known as a "summa", in reference to its origin -> http://occawlonline.pearsoned.com/bookbind/pubbooks/thomas_awl/chapter1/medialib/custom3/topics/calculus.htm [Broken].

Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2017