The mathematical work of Thomas Harriot (c. 1560--1621) is distinguished by extensive use of symbolism and other forms of visual imagery and by systematic use of combinations. This paper argues that these characteristics of his mathematical writing were already observable in the mid-1580s, in the phonetic alphabet he devised to record the speech of American Indians. The paper presents several little-known examples of Harriot's mathematics, demonstrating his use of symbolism both as a means of expression and as an analytic tool, and assesses Harriot's work in relation to the broader 17th-century trend toward symbolization in mathematics.
...MoreDescription Argues that symbolic and imagistic elements of Harriot's mathematical writing are observable in the mid-1580s in the phonetic alphabet he devised to record the speech of American Indians. (from the abstract)
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