JF Ptak Science Books Post 2006
With the big discussion taking place at SCOTUS (rather, the same-ish big discussion taking place in two cases) and with the equality sign appearing everywhere, it might be interesting to take a look at when that symbol first came into use.
It turns out that " = " makes its first appearance in print with the work of Robert Recorde (a Welsh mathematician and physician, who lived from 1512-1558), in his The Whetstone of Witte, whiche is the seconde parte of Arithmeteke: containing the extraction of rootes; the cossike practise, with the rule of equation; and the workes of Surde Nombers (printed in London in 1557).
In clear and concise language (in the fourth paragraph in the text at left) he introduces = = = = = to take the place of repeating the phrase "is equalle to".
Howbeit, for easie alteration of equations. I will propounde a fewe
exanples, bicause the extraction of their rootes, maie the more aptly bee
wroughte. And to avoide the tediouse repetition of these woordes : is equalle
to : I will sette as I doe often in woorke use, a pair of paralleles, or Gemowe
lines of one lengthe, thus: =====, bicause noe .2. thynges, can be moare
[Page image via the MathMastery Blog, here.]
The word "equal" comes from the Latin aequalis, meaning "uniform, identical, or equal," it also derives from aequus which perhaps more interestingly plays out as "level, even, just".
Either would do, for me, so long as the equality sign is put into play as the law of the land, and that this injustice and discrimination is brought to an end. At 456 years of age, = is far younger than the inequality it can replace.