When you open a maths textbook, the symbols appear instantly familiar. Plus, minus, equals, division, brackets. You recognise them without thinking, the way you recognise letters in a word. But have you ever stopped to wonder where these symbols came from, or why they look the way they do? They were not always there. In fact, maths symbols are one of the youngest inventions in human history.
For most of history, people did maths without symbols at all. Ancient civilisations used words instead. A problem might say something like “three added to five gives eight,” written out fully in sentences. This worked when calculations were simple, but as maths became more complex, words became slow and confusing. Mathematicians needed a faster, clearer way to write ideas. Symbols were born out of this need for speed and clarity.
The plus and minus signs are among the oldest symbols we still use today. They first appeared in Europe in the late 1400s. The plus sign likely came from a shortened version of the Latin word et, meaning “and.” Over time, the handwritten letters merged into a simple cross shape. The minus sign was even simpler — a horizontal line used by merchants to show loss or removal. These symbols were practical before they were mathematical.
The equals sign has one of the most thoughtful origins. It was introduced in 1557 by a Welsh mathematician named Robert Recorde. He was tired of writing the phrase “is equal to” again and again. He chose two parallel lines because, as he explained, no two things could be more equal than two lines of the same length running side by side. That visual idea still makes sense today.
Division took longer to settle on a single symbol. In some places, people wrote division as words. In others, they used fractions. The division symbol with a line and two dots above and below came much later. It likely represented numbers being separated evenly. Even today, different countries use different division symbols, showing that maths symbols are human choices, not natural laws.
Multiplication has an equally mixed history. Early mathematicians simply wrote numbers next to each other. Later, the cross symbol was introduced, possibly because it looked like the letter x, standing for “times.” But as algebra developed, this became confusing because x was also used as a variable. That is why modern maths often uses a dot or brackets instead. Symbols change when clarity demands it.
Brackets are another example of maths adapting to complexity. As calculations grew longer, mathematicians needed ways to group numbers clearly. Early brackets looked nothing like today’s smooth curves. They evolved slowly through handwritten notes, becoming rounder and more consistent as printing improved. Their job has always been the same: to tell the reader, “do this part first.”
The symbol for zero tells an especially fascinating story. Zero began as a placeholder in ancient India, showing an empty position in a number. The circular shape likely came from a dot used to mark absence, which slowly became a small circle. This simple symbol transformed maths completely, allowing place-value systems and advanced calculations. Without it, modern maths would collapse.
Even the way fractions are written has a visual logic. Placing one number above another with a line between them shows separation and comparison at a glance. Before this system, fractions were written in awkward words. The visual layout helped the brain understand relationships instantly.
Some symbols came from handwriting habits. The square root symbol evolved from a stretched letter “r,” standing for radix, the Latin word for root. Over time, the letter changed shape, simplified, and became the symbol we use today. What looks mysterious now was once just a rushed pen stroke.
Other symbols arrived through printing technology. Once maths books began to spread widely, symbols needed to be standardised. Printers preferred shapes that were easy to reproduce. Complicated symbols disappeared. Simple, clear ones survived. This is why maths symbols often look clean and balanced — they were shaped by ink, paper and metal type.
It’s also important to remember that symbols are not universal. Ancient Chinese and Arabic mathematicians used very different notations. Some cultures placed numbers vertically, others horizontally. Over time, global trade and shared education systems caused certain symbols to dominate. What we call “maths symbols” today are really agreements humans have made.
What makes maths symbols powerful is not their beauty, but their efficiency. A single line, dot or curve can represent an entire idea. Symbols allow maths to cross language barriers. A student in India, Brazil or Japan can understand the same equation without translation.
So the next time you see a simple “=” or “+”, remember this: you are looking at centuries of human thinking, trial and improvement.