Calculus was independently developed by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Isaac Newton in the late 17 th century. Leibniz based his theory on the use of geometric processes to solve mathematical problems. He viewed a curve as being made up of infinitely small segments, whereby the slope of the tangent could be calculated for each segment. He recognized the relationship between differential and integral calculus. Newton, on the other hand, was more interested in solving a physics problem: how to determine the instantaneous speed of an accelerating object. He viewed a curve as a reflection of constant acceleration and imagined a point as an infinitely small segment of a line. The time interval between observations of an object’s motion could be reduced to the point that the change in speed disappears. Thus, acceleration or deceleration can be calculated as the sum of the instantaneous speeds of the observed object. Leibniz was later accused of stealing Newton’s ideas from the correspondence exchanged by the two, and the Royal Society of London, influenced by Newton, erroneously pronounced him guilty. However, Leibniz’s system eventually became the dominant form of calculus, thanks to its elegant notation and simplicity.