Subject: Re: [HM] symbol for infinity
From: Udai Venedem (venedem@wanadoo.fr)
Date: Tue Jan 04 2000 - 17:27:05 EST
From God to infinity?
On Janu IIIrd (I)(I), John Conway <conway@math.Princeton.edu> wrote:
> Menninger's "Number Words and Number Symbols" says it is
> derived from the original form of the Roman Numeral M for 1000,
> which was an Etruscan letter whose sides were curved - let me
> try to draw it as well as I can:
> _ _
> ( | )
It may be interesting to add that this latin symbol CI) for "thousand" also
means "God" in hieroglyphic Hittite writing. Also not unworthy the fact
that Descartes, who denied all pertinency in speaking of infinity besides
what God is concerned, introduced the symbol, only used by him for meaning
"equal to". And deserving notice, the "residual" Descartes symbol nu used as
meaning "equivalent".
Udai Venedem
venedem@wanadoo.fr
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/alta.mathematica/
catalogues of collector's books in mathematics and science.
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