The teaching of graphical calculus in engineering schools (1860-1970)
Résumé
Graphical calculus is the part of numerical calculation that is based on geometrical constructions. It was established as a subject of knowledge and teaching from the 1860s onwards. With its three specialised components, graphical statics, graphical integration and nomography, it was a response to the growing calculation needs of engineers at the time of the industrial revolutions and the development of communication channels. It then became progressively obsolete in the 1960s due to the increasing role of computers and electronic calculators. The aim of the present contribution is to examine the content of graphical calculus courses created in engineering schools and universities between 1860 and 1960. Through a quantitative study of the treatises intended for the teaching of graphical calculus, we will also attempt to analyse, both chronologically and geographically, the diffusion processes of this teaching in Europe and the rest of the world during the period under consideration.
