fluxionum

Fluxionum is a Latin term that translates to "of flows" or "of fluxions." It is derived from the concept of fluxions, which were a method used in the 17th century to find the derivatives of functions. The term was popularized by Sir Isaac Newton, who developed the method of fluxions to describe the rates of change of quantities.

The method of fluxions involves considering a quantity as generated by the continuous flow of another quantity. For example, if a point moves along a curve, its position can be described as a function of time. The fluxion of the position with respect to time gives the velocity of the point. Similarly, the fluxion of the velocity gives the acceleration.

Newton's use of fluxions was a precursor to the modern concept of calculus. The term "fluxionum" is still used in some contexts to refer to the study of rates of change and derivatives, although it is less common than the term "calculus."

The method of fluxions was criticized by contemporaries, such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who developed an alternative notation for calculus. However, Newton's work on fluxions laid the foundation for the development of calculus as a formal mathematical discipline.