[HM] earliest use of "continued fraction" in English

Jeff Miller (JeffM@sanctum.com)
Sun, 24 Jan 1999 12:58:07 -0500

Philip G. Drazin, math and science contributor for the revision of the
Oxford English Dictionary, asked whether readers of the math words web page
I maintain could assist him in finding the earliest use in English of the
term "continued fraction." I don't think he subscribes to this list so I am
forwarding his request to the list.

The web page (at http://members.aol.com/jeff570/mathword.html) quotes Morris
Kline in Mathematical Thought From Ancient to Modern Times, page 255, as
attributing the coinage of the term to Wallis in Opera Mathematica vol. I in
1695. However Drazin has found the phrase "continue fracta" in Arithmetica
Infinitorum Prop. CXCI. So perhaps Wallis coined the term in 1655.
However, Drazin is interested in knowing who coined the term in English or
who translated it into English. I can forward any posts to him, but his
address is:

Philip G Drazin
P.Drazin@bristol.ac.uk