#History#Mathematics#Education#Chronology
Is Harvard University older than the calculus?
TL;DR Summary: Yes, Harvard University is older than modern calculus. Harvard was founded in 1636, whereas the foundational principles of calculus were independently developed by Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the late 17th century (primarily the 1660s and 1670s).
Is Harvard University older than the calculus?
Yes, Harvard University is older than modern calculus.
The Timeline
- Harvard University: Founded on September 8, 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.
- Calculus: While ancient mathematicians explored precursor concepts (like the method of exhaustion by Archimedes), modern infinitesimal calculus was developed in the mid-to-late 17th century. Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz are credited with its independent invention during the 1660s and 1670s, with Newton's work on 'fluxions' beginning around 1666.
Conclusion
Because Harvard was established three decades before Newton and Leibniz formalized the mathematics of change and motion, Harvard University predates the invention of calculus by roughly thirty years.