Calculus of variations establishes a framework to determine the extrema of functionals—mappings from functions to real numbers—which has been pivotal in elucidating natural principles such as the ...
In the late 19th century, Karl Weierstrass invented a fractal-like function that was decried as nothing less than a “deplorable evil.” In time, it would transform the foundations of mathematics.
The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Calculus is a powerful mathematical tool. But for hundreds of years after its invention in the 17th century, it stood on a shaky ...
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