Answers.Body: <p>I think that Jonathan Garber is right. Much of algebra has to do with equation in an x y coordinate plane which is very similar to the way that algebraic notation denotes specific squares on the board. I have however not been able to find any specific source of the information. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-05-18T13:31:42.213Z
Answers.Text: This is speculation.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-20T17:10:18.863Z
Answers.Text: This is the correct answer according to the paper [The Mathematical Knight](http://www-math.mit.edu/~rstan/papers/knight.ps) (ps file) by Elkies and Stanley at MIT, published in the Springer Journal Math. Intelligencer 25 (2003).
Answers.UserDisplayName: John K.
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-05-11T19:01:42.853Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-05-11T19:01:42.853Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Edward Goodson
Answers.Body: <p>Algebraic notation is quite old. It is based on a system created by Philipp Stamma (c.1705–55) <em>before</em> descriptive notation started to evolve. There is no indication that anyone with a mathematical background had anything to do with its development or spreading, so my best guess is that they called it "algebraic" simply because it uses coordinates. The funny thing is that there is nothing algebraic about coordinates. If anything, it should be called "geometric notation", but somehow "algebraic" sounds better; as if it is more accurate.</p>
  
  <p>In brief, I strongly suspect that they <strong>just</strong> called it "algebraic".</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-09-14T02:19:27.373Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-09-14T02:19:27.373Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: yrodro
Answers.Body: <p>Algebra is more than simply a branch of mathematics. The central element of it is using symbols  as abstractions, the way the notation uses letters and numbers to represent the squares, as opposed to the systems where the square is more concretely described, as "King Bishop 4" for example.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-20T15:34:23.350Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-07-20T15:34:23.350Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Arlen
Body: <p>How does algebra relate to this chess notation?</p>
  
  <p>Why do they call this chess notation <strong>algebraic</strong>?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-05-02T13:18:59.237Z
Comments.Text: This is pure speculation, but co-ordinate pairs on a graph are integral to elementary algebra, and algebraic notation is entirely co-ordinate pairs.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Jonathan Garber
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-05-13T10:06:14.943Z
Comments.Text: May be because in algebra, symbols (x,y,z,a,b,c, etc...) are used, with numbers, to represent things, and since positions in this notation make use of symbols (and numbers) for position locations or coordinates (e4,c5, . vs. just pure numbers as in (5,6) and (4,7) etc.... so it is algebraic notations. i.e. uses symbols as in algebra.  (we can't have algebra if all what we had is numbers)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Nasser
Tags: <history><notation>
Title: Why is algebraic notation called algebraic?
ThreadText: # Why is algebraic notation called algebraic?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-05-02)
  
  How does algebra relate to this chess notation?
  
  Why do they call this chess notation **algebraic**?
  
  **Tags:** history, notation
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: This is pure speculation, but co-ordinate pairs on a graph are integral to elementary algebra, and algebraic notation is entirely co-ordinate pairs.  
  > **username_2**: May be because in algebra, symbols (x,y,z,a,b,c, etc...) are used, with numbers, to represent things, and since positions in this notation make use of symbols (and numbers) for position locations or coordinates (e4,c5, . vs. just pure numbers as in (5,6) and (4,7) etc.... so it is algebraic notations. i.e. uses symbols as in algebra.  (we can't have algebra if all what we had is numbers)  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2013-05-11. Score: 6
  
  I think that username_1 username_1 is right. Much of algebra has to do with equation in an x y coordinate plane which is very similar to the way that algebraic notation denotes specific squares on the board. I have however not been able to find any specific source of the information.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: This is speculation.  
  > **username_5**: This is the correct answer according to the paper [The Mathematical Knight](http://www-math.mit.edu/~rstan/papers/knight.ps) (ps file) by Elkies and Stanley at MIT, published in the Springer Journal Math. Intelligencer 25 (2003).  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2013-09-14. Score: 3
  
  Algebraic notation is quite old. It is based on a system created by Philipp Stamma (c.1705–55) *before* descriptive notation started to evolve. There is no indication that anyone with a mathematical background had anything to do with its development or spreading, so my best guess is that they called it "algebraic" simply because it uses coordinates. The funny thing is that there is nothing algebraic about coordinates. If anything, it should be called "geometric notation", but somehow "algebraic" sounds better; as if it is more accurate.
  
  In brief, I strongly suspect that they **just** called it "algebraic".
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2013-07-20. Score: 2
  
  Algebra is more than simply a branch of mathematics. The central element of it is using symbols as abstractions, the way the notation uses letters and numbers to represent the squares, as opposed to the systems where the square is more concretely described, as "King Bishop 4" for example.
  
  
  ---
  
  