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Mathematics in Linnaeus’ time "our honest Klingenstierna" Klingenstierna's writings Why Klingenstierna
preferred geometric solutions to algebraic ones
Why Klingenstierna preferred geometric solutions to algebraic ones
"To be sure, Algebraic calculations are a secure Ariadne's string, but, as I see it, they should only be used when one find's oneself in a Labyrinth from which one sees no other exit. The Geometric path, when one can take him, is always light; one sees the destination one wishes to reach throughout the entire journey, and how each step contributes to its attainment. But with the Algebraic path one often has the displeasure of so losing sight of one's subject that one hardly sees more than a shadow of it represented in symbols and formulas. On the other hand, one must grant this latter method the advantage of being more wide-ranging than the Geometric, which must often stand aside as it moves by. Each has its advantages, and it behooves the master to make use of each in its place."