Triparty en la science des nombres

work by Chuquet

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June 11, 2026

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Nicolas Chuquet's Triparty en la science des nombres (1484) was a significant French algebra text. It introduced a more flexible notation for powers, including the use of negative exponents, which was a novel concept in European mathematics at the time. Chuquet's work also contained early symbolic expressions and demonstrated the use of negative numbers in solving equations, though he still encountered difficulties with concepts like the square root of negative numbers. This text was part of a broader trend in the European Renaissance towards developing symbolic language and more generalized methods for solving mathematical problems.1

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algebra
Commerce and abacists in the European Renaissance
…French algebra text, Nicolas Chuquet’s Triparty en la science des nombres (1484; “The Science of Numbers in Three Parts”). As part of a discussion on how to use the Hindu-Arabic numerals, Triparty contained relatively complicated symbolic expressions, such as R²14pR²180 (meaning: ).
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…French algebra text, Nicolas Chuquet’s Triparty en la science des nombres (1484; “The Science of Numbers in Three Parts”). As part of a discussion on how to use the Hindu-Arabic numerals, Triparty contained relatively complicated symbolic expressions, such as R²14pR²180 (meaning: ).
Read More