Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

[First paragraph of article] Many modern readers may be inclined to agree with ROBERTRECORDE, when in his Whetstone of Witte (1557) he gives as his reason for taking (( a paire of paralleles, or Gemowe lines of one lengthe, thus: == )) to be his sign of equality - (( bicause noe. 2. thynges, can be moare equalle )). To some readers this choice of the equality symbol may seem so evidently a foreordination, that they cannot readily understand how any (...) other symbol could have been proposed as a serious rival. They experience a very perceptible shock when informed that RECORDE'S symbol had several competitors and that it nearly perished in its fierce struggle for existence. (shrink)