“The method has the form of the now-standard method of differential calculus, though it begs entirely the difficult theory of limits.”

— Morris Kline

Source: Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times (1972), p. 346
Context: Fermat applied his method of tangents to many difficult problems. The method has the form of the now-standard method of differential calculus, though it begs entirely the difficult theory of limits.

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Morris Kline 42

American mathematician 1908–1992

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