Who Put Letters in Math?

Who Added Letters to Math and Why the Heck Did They Do That?

We’ve all been there before. You’re sitting in math class staring at an equation that is filled with not only numbers (which are to be expected in a math equation), but freaking letters as well (what gives?). Feeling frustrated and confused, you can’t help but to scratch your head and wonder, “who put letters in math, and why?”

And now you’re here, looking to figure out exactly who put letters in math and why it is even necessary in the first place (this isn’t English class, after all).

While the concept of working with letters in math may seem silly, it is actually also pretty brilliant, given that the “invention” of using letters is a foundational part of the field of algebra.

So, who put letters in math? The bulk of the credit goes to one man. Are you ready to learn his name?

What Do Letters in Math Mean?

Before you learn about the man who added letters to math, it is important that you understand why letters are used in math and what they actually represent.

In math, letters, more commonly known as variables, are used to represent different values in various expressions and equations.

You can think of variables as place holders that represent unknown values or quantities and they are most prominently used in algebra. Without variables, you would not be able to form equations or solve problems!

Who Put Letters in Math?

Answering this question will require a short tour through the history of math, starting in Ancient Greece. The first recored use of letters in mathematical equations and expressions is credited to the Ancient Greek mathematicians, most notably Diophantus of Alexandria, who is considered the “Father of Algebra.”

In his famous textbook Arithmetica, Diophantus used an abbreviated notation system and symbols to represent unknown quantities and values. And while his work put the field of mathematics on the path of including letters in math, Diophantus’ system of using symbols was very different from the algebraic notation that you are seeing in your math classes.

So, if it wasn’t Diophantus who added letters to math, who was it?

Who Put Letters in Math?

Answer: François Viète

Much later on, towards the end of the 16th century, a French mathematician named François Viète first introduced the concept of using letters to represent unknown numbers and quantities when solving math equations. Viète’s work truly revolutionized the field of algebra and algebraic notation. In his initial works, he developed a notation system where consonants were used to represent known quantities and vowels were used to represent unknown quantities. This system would gradually morph into the modern algebraic notation system that we use today.

Now that you have your answer, here are some fun facts about this relatively unknown 16th century French Mathematician:

Viète is most famous for being known as the first mathematician to use a letter-based algebraic notation system for solving equations, which laid the foundation for algebra as we know it today.
In addition to being a mathematician, Viète was an extremely talented codebreaker. He spent time serving as a cryptanalyst and decoding secret messages sent by rival nations for King Henry IV.
He was also a licensed private attorney and travelled all around France working as a lawyer. Viète would eventually become a respected legal advisor to the King.
Viète's famous algebra textbook, Canon Mathematicus, was not published until fourteen years after he died.
Viète also made major contributions to the field of trigonometry. Most notably, he developed a formula for the relationship between the angles and sides of any triangle, which is still used in modern mathematics and is known as Viète's Formula.

Why Were Letters Added to Math?

Finally, now that you know who added letters to math, its important that you really understand why they were put there and why they are so useful in algebra.

The greatest impact of adding letters to math is that it made the subject more universal and accessible. Since math principles and theorems are universal, the use of letters as placeholders for specific values or inputs allowed mathematicians to represent general mathematical facts which are applicable to a wide range of values.

From a historical perspective, the introduction of using letters to represent unknown values in math equations was truly groundbreaking and it changed the field of mathematics forever. This revolutionary concept sparked the evolution of algebra from a field of study that was primarily focused on calculation to one of manipulation and generalization—which led to countless advancements and breakthroughs in the fields of science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.

For example, consider Albert Einstein’s famous theory of relativity equation, E=MC^2.

In this famous equation involving mostly letters, E is used to represent energy, M is used to represent mass, and C is used to represent the speed of light. In a nutshell, Einstein’s equation states that mass (M) can be converted into energy (E) and vice versa. The concept itself is truly groundbreaking and it would not be possible without the use of letters in math.

As for being relevant to algebra students in the modern day who are not concerned with developing their own theories of relativity, it is important to know that letters in math allow you to simplify abstract and complex mathematical situations, making them much easier to conceptualize and solve. The use of letters in expressions and equations allows you to see patterns, make generalizations, and develop new problem-solving methods that are applicable to a vast array of scenarios and problems.

Conclusion: Letters in Math

It’s totally normal to be surprised and confused when you are first introduced to letters symbolizing values in math. Exploring who is responsible for adding letters in math as well the why behind their introduction has taken you on a journey through the history of math that ranges from Ancient Greece to 16th century France to the modern day. So, who put letters in math? In terms of crediting one person, the award goes to François Viète and his initial use of letters to represent quantities in algebraic expressions and equations. Without this contribution, algebra as we know it today would be a very different field of study.