You know, that little guy that looks like a plus sign but also has a minus sign hidden inside it? Yeah, that one.

Now, you might be wondering why this symbol is so important and what exactly it means. Well, Let’s get right into it with some history to find out!

The first recorded use of the plus-minus sign dates back to the 16th century when a mathematician named Simon Stevin created it as a way to represent both positive and negative numbers in one symbol. Before that, people had to write out “plus” or “minus” next to each number, which was pretty cumbersome and time-consuming.

But why did Stevin choose this particular combination of symbols? Well, according to legend, he was inspired by the way a plus sign looks like an upside-down E (for “error”), while a minus sign looks like a downside-up E with a line through it (for “not error”). So, by combining these two symbols, Stevin created a new symbol that represented both positive and negative errors.

Of course, this wasn’t the end of the story for our little friend here. Over time, people started using the plus-minus sign in all sorts of different ways not just to represent errors or mistakes! In fact, it became so popular that mathematicians began incorporating it into their formulas and equations as a way to simplify things and make them more readable.

Today, you’ll find the plus-minus sign in all sorts of mathematical contexts from algebra and calculus to physics and engineering. And while its exact meaning may vary depending on the situation (e.g., it might represent an interval or a range), one thing is for sure: this little guy has become an essential part of our mathematical lexicon!

So, there you have it the history and usage of the plus-minus sign in all its glory. And if you ever find yourself struggling to remember what that symbol means (or how to use it), just think back to Simon Stevin’s clever little invention and let your mind do the rest!