Definition:Power (Algebra)/Real Number/Definition 3/Historical Note

Historical Note on Power to Real Number

The technique of defining the $r$th power of $x$ for real number $r$ by means of the decimal expansion of $r$, was first designed by John Wallis in $1655$, and later refined by Isaac Newton in $1669$.

Sources

• 1997: Donald E. Knuth: The Art of Computer Programming: Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms (3rd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 1.2.2$: Numbers, Powers, and Logarithms