Which 17th century philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer invented the notation which uses superscripts to show powers or exponents (e.g. the 2 used in x to indicate squaring)?
Prime factor exponent notation Prime factor exponent notation In his 1557 work "The Whetstone of Witte", British mathematician Robert Recorde proposed an exponent notation by prime factorisation, which remained in use up until the eighteenth century and acquired the name "Arabic exponent notation". The principle of Arabic exponents was quite similar to Egyptian fractions; large exponents were broken down into smaller prime numbers. Squares and cubes were so called; prime numbers from five onwards were called "sursolids". Although the terms used for defining exponents differed between authors and times, the general system was the primary exponent notation until René Descartes devised the Cartesian exponent
René Descartes describe geometry. He "invented the convention of representing unknowns in equations by "x", "y", and "z", and knowns by "a", "b", and "c"". He also "pioneered the standard notation" that uses superscripts to show the powers or exponents; for example, the 2 used in x to indicate x squared. He was first to assign a fundamental place for algebra in our system of knowledge, using it as a method to automate or mechanize reasoning, particularly about abstract, unknown quantities. European mathematicians had previously viewed geometry as a more fundamental form of mathematics, serving as the foundation of algebra. Algebraic rules