If the symbol under discussion appears in _Annalen der Physik und Chemie_
(ca. 1916/17), then *that* would certainly be quite an early instance!
Florian Cajori (p. 251, vol II), for example, refers to H. A. Kramers in
_Zeitschrift fu"r Physik_, vol. XIII (1923), p. 346.
Which is the *precise* reference for Sommerfeld's article?
Many thanks!
Regards, J.
At 05:50 PM 01/09/1998 EST, Jeff Miller wrote:
| I received a phone call today from an individual who is extremely interested
| in finding the origin of the symbol for an integral around a closed path
| (integral symbol with a circle in the middle of it). He does not have
| e-mail and I told him I would pose his question here and read any replies to
| him.
|
| The earliest use he has found is by Arnold Sommerfeld in Annalen der Physik
| around 1916 or 1917.
| ...