Name: Terry Moore: 为什么 'x' 代表未知数?
Uploaded: 2012-06-06T15:00:59Z
Duration: 3 min 40 s
Description: 为什么 'x' 是未知数的符号？在这个短而有趣的演讲里，Terry Moore 带给我们一个吃惊的答案。

Terry Moore: Terry Moore: 为什么 'x' 代表未知数?

Terry Moore: 为什么 'x' 代表未知数?

为什么 'x' 是未知数的符号？在这个短而有趣的演讲里，Terry Moore 带给我们一个吃惊的答案。

The symbol 'x' represents the unknown because medieval translators struggled to capture Arabic sounds in their own languages. When Arabic mathematical texts reached Spain, the word 'shayun'—meaning 'something' or 'unknown'—could not be directly translated, so scholars substituted Greek and Latin letters. Over centuries, this workaround turned a simple letter into a global icon of mystery, now seen everywhere from math class to pop culture.