Leibniz Uses Long S in Calculus

Date: October 29, 1675 • Location: Berlin, Germany

Leibniz makes the first use of the long s (∫) as a symbol of the integral in calculus.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist, and diplomat. Alongside Isaac Newton, he is widely credited with the invention of calculus. He is also credited with making foundational contributions to other areas of mathematics, such as binary arithmetic and statistics.