History of matrices

The history of matrices returns to times before christ. Chinese texts from the 300 BC show that with small matrices. But the first matrix considered in our days as a "contemporary matrix" that appeared was invention of, first of all, SeKi Kowa, Japanese mathematician, and also a little bit later in Germany by Gottfried Leibnitz, german mathematician. 

Seki Kowa

Olga Taussky Todd

Later, in around 1800, it was found different methods from ancient times to solve simultaneous equations as well as Carl Gauss would discover later. This make us think that matrixes are not things from the present, but from long time ago. In fact, the term matrix was introduced for the first time in 1850, by James Joseph Sylvester. After, in XX century, it would be Olga Taussky Todd the mathematician who developed matrices into its final state, the one that showed us how to work with them. Also, she expanded their uses to other fields, such as using them for analyzing vibrations on airplanes in World War II.

James Joseph Sylvester

Thereby, since their first appearance in China, matrices have been an important tool for humanity even though they were rescued a few centuries ago. From their very beginning, were they were used for calculating simple things such as commerce, etc... to our days where as well as it is said before, they started being used in World War II for measuring the vibrations on airplanes.