Historical analysis of affine function role and the linear equation in the economy from the ontosemiotic focus

Abstract

The research work presented is part of a larger research which aims to analyze from the onto-semiotic approach (EOS) (Godino, 1996, 1999, 2003) a lesson related function and linear equation in the economy. In a first step, interested in showing the pioneering ideas of the concepts of demand function, supply function, demand curve, supply and equilibrium, from the problems that originated in which, identify the different problem areas, procedures, language and other evidence to show the evolution of the meaning of the mathematical formulation. The study is exploratory and descriptive framed in the EOS. That is why it takes as its primary objective the analysis of the historical development of related function and the linear equation (supply, demand) in the economy, with reference to Cournot (1838), Ruiz (1998), Ramos De Pacia (2005), Dalcin and Olave (2007) and Gascon (2008). Among other findings, the study revealed: (1) Functional analysis played a role in the mathematical formulation of certain economic models, (2) In the historical significance is emphasized by verbal, graphic and notational.