Who Discovered Factoring and Its Origins?

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SUMMARY

Factoring, a fundamental mathematical technique, was discovered in 1942 through a collaboration between France, Japan, and Great Britain aimed at understanding multiplication. The concept was articulated when a mathematician recognized that the distributive property, expressed as a*(b+c)=a*b+a*c, could be applied to polynomial expressions such as x² - 2x + 1 = (x-1)(x-1). This insight marked a significant advancement in mathematical theory, particularly in algebra.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic algebraic concepts, including polynomials.
  • Familiarity with the distributive property of multiplication.
  • Knowledge of mathematical history and its key developments.
  • Awareness of collaborative scientific efforts in mathematics.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the history of algebraic concepts and their development over time.
  • Explore the significance of the distributive property in various mathematical applications.
  • Study the contributions of France, Japan, and Great Britain to mathematics during the 20th century.
  • Investigate modern applications of factoring in computer science and cryptography.
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Mathematicians, educators, students of algebra, and anyone interested in the historical development of mathematical techniques.

Cedar
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Anybody know who first discovered the factoring?
When and where too...
Such an useful technique I would like to know :)
 
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Actually factoring was discovered in 1942 following a France-Japan-GB colaboration to crack the secret of multiplication.

Probably it was the first society to worked with the concept of multiplication.
 
Last edited:
Factoring was discovered the moment a guy understood that if a*(b+c)=a*b+a*c, then we could equally write a*(b+c) whenever the other guys would write a*b+a*c.

Who that was, I have no idea..
 
Last edited:
I think he means like x2 - 2x + 1 = (x-1)(x-1)

Which isn't directly obvious from a*(b+c) = ab + ac
 
Office_Shredder said:
I think he means like x2 - 2x + 1 = (x-1)(x-1)

Which isn't directly obvious from a*(b+c) = ab + ac

Not directly, but very close to directly. :smile:
 

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