The Saw-Toothed Function That Broke Calculus | WIRED
In the late 19th century, Karl Weierstrass invented a fractal-like function that was decried as nothing less than a “deplorable evil.” In time, it would transform the foundations of mathematics.
Save this story Save this story The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine . Calculus is a powerful mathematical tool. But for hundreds of years after its invention in the 17th century, it stood on a shaky foundation. Its core concepts were rooted in intuition and informal arguments, rather than precise, formal definitions. Two schools of thought emerged in response, according to Michael Barany , a historian of math and science at the University of Edinburgh. French mathematicians were by and large content to keep going. They were more concerned with applying calculus to pr
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