âCalculus Warsâ by Seth F.
Calculus was one of the greatest mathematical discoveries of the seventeenth century, but who exactly invented it? Mrs. Girondaâs Calculus class continued the centuries-old debate whether the answer was the well-known Sir Isaac Newton or the lesser known Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
Each had their own claim to fame on the subject. Leibniz published his research in 1684 while Newton published his work in 1704 (twenty years later!). The controversy comes in because both had kept their work a secret for several years prior. Newton technically completed his work first in 1665 while Leibniz completed his in 1673. Newton was furious at being beaten to the punch on what he considered to be âhisâ invention. Then the âwarâ began. Newton was already well-known for his advancements in the scientific field, so he had âfollowersâ at his disposal that he used to cripple Leibnizâs reputation with accusations of plagiarism, which were rapidly accepted through the educational community. This led to Leibniz dying poor and dishonored while Newton was given a state funeral.
Over time, Leibnizâs research has been authenticated within his many fields, but Newtonâs âsmear campaignâ is still very real. The âwarâ still goes on to this day with mathematicians constantly going back and forth to determine the true âfather of calculusâ and the winner of the âCalculus War.â Our class was the latest example of that debate. We took several days to research and come up with a fierce rap battle between the two mathematical giants. I wrote the Leibniz section of the battle:
The best you can do is find planet masses
You can prove we go around the sun
But you couldnât have a son?
I canât see your reasoning
When youâre smiting me for citing your theories
Geometry is the better way to go
Better than anything from you, the bald crow
Go back to failing farming with your old hoe
When you find a wife, come back to flow
I did my research with but a dime
You did it with nearly infinite money and time
But calculus? It really was my invention
Youâre the one who should be paying attention
Forget detention, the best youâll get from me is suspension
The debate left our class divided, some siding with Newton, others with Leibniz. Who do you chose?
                                            Works Cited
Lienhard, John. "No. 1375: Newton vs. Leibniz." No. 1375: Newton vs.
          Leibniz. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
          <http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1375.htm>.