Peano on Symbolization, Design Principles for Notations, and the Dot Notation

The work

AuthorsDirk Schlimm
Editors
Typearticle
Year2021
Citekeyschlimm2021peano

Where it appeared

Published inPhilosophia Scientiae
PublisherOpenEdition
Volume25-1
Pages95--126

Identifiers

DOI10.4000/philosophiascientiae.2840
ISSN1281-2463

Related

Distinct frompeano1889arithmetices The notation and a study of it. peano1889arithmetices is the 1889 original the corpus holds in Latin; this is Schlimm's account of how Peano arrived at his symbols and why the dot notation was designed as it was. Held together the set has the source and the analysis, which is unusual here -- the-axioms-before-peano otherwise requires original texts.

Abstract

Peano was one of the driving forces behind the development of the current mathematical formalism. In this paper, we study his particular approach to notational design and present some original features of his notations. To explain the motivations underlying Peano’s approach, we first present his view of logic as a method of analysis and his desire for a rigorous and concise symbolism to represent mathematical ideas. On the basis of both his practice and his explicit reflections on notations, we discuss the principles that guided Peano’s introduction of new symbols, the choice of characters, and the layout of formulas. Finally, we take a closer look, from a systematic and historical perspective, at one of Peano’s most striking innovations, his use of dots for the grouping of subformulas.

A copy is held

pdf, 300.6 kB. Not published — it may be under copyright. The facts and links here are.

How it got here

How it got hereagent via crossref
Added2026-09-03 16:14 UTC
Approved bya person 2026-09-03 17:29 UTC

Cite it as

@article{schlimm2021peano,
  title        = {Peano on Symbolization, Design Principles for Notations, and the Dot Notation},
  author       = {Dirk Schlimm},
  year         = {2021},
  journal      = {Philosophia Scientiae},
  publisher    = {OpenEdition},
  volume       = {25-1},
  pages        = {95--126},
  issn         = {1281-2463},
  doi          = {10.4000/philosophiascientiae.2840},
}

This record lives at https://refs.drheap.org/schlimm2021peano/ and will keep doing so.