Math · 2
In what year did Robert Recorde introduce the equals sign (=) to mathematics?
Answer
1557
Robert Recorde introduced the equals sign in 1557 in his algebraic treatise 'The Whetstone of Witte.' The symbol was not widely adopted for several decades, but it eventually replaced the verbose practice of writing 'is equal to' in full.
💡 Did you know?
The equals sign (=) didn't exist until 1557 when Robert Recorde invented it—mathematicians literally wrote out 'is equal to' before then.
Other options people guess
- 1492
- 1614
- 1637
Topics
- history-of-mathematics
- notation
- symbols
- 16th-century
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