In the latest instalment of general knowledge you didn’t realise you needed to know… Did you know the = equals sign used the world over in maths and equations was invented in Wales?
The equals sign — the symbol we use today (=) to show that two expressions have the same value was originally invented in 1557 by the Welsh mathematician and physician Robert Recorde.
🧠 Who?
Robert Recorde (c. 1510 – 1558) was a Welsh mathematician. It is said that he included the first recorded use of the equals sign in his book The Whetstone of Witte, published way back in 1557.
✍️ Why?
Before Recorde’s invention, mathematicians had always written out the words “is equal to” every time they wanted to show equality. Recorde is said to have grown tired of this repetition and chose two parallel horizontal lines of the same length because, in his words, “no two things can be more equal.”
📚 Impact
The symbol didn’t catch on immediately, it took decades before it became widely adopted across Europe. However over time it became the standard mathematical notation for equality we use today.
So, in short: Robert Recorde from Tenby in Wales invented the equals sign in 1557.
