One of the first algebraists to accept negative numbers was... placed negative numbers on a par with positive numbers and gave both roots of a quadratic equation, even when both were negative. Both Girard and Harriot used the minus sign for the operation of subtraction and for negative numbers. (Morris Kline)

One of the first algebraists to accept negative numbers was... placed negative numbers on a par with positive numbers and gave both roots of a quadratic equation, even when both were negative. Both Girard and Harriot used the minus sign for the operation of subtraction and for negative numbers.

Morris Kline

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equation minus negative numbers operation par positive quadratic sign subtraction girard roots

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