Sir William Rowan Hamilton invented the linear equation in 1843.

Where did linear equations come from?

Systems of linear equations arose in Europe with the introduction in 1637 by René Descartes of coordinates in geometry. In fact, in this new geometry, now called Cartesian geometry, lines and planes are represented by linear equations, and computing their intersections amounts to solving systems of linear equations.

What did William Rowan Hamilton invent?

Sir William Rowan Hamilton, (born August 3/4, 1805, Dublin, Ireland—died September 2, 1865, Dublin), Irish mathematician who contributed to the development of optics, dynamics, and algebra—in particular, discovering the algebra of quaternions. His work proved significant for the development of quantum mechanics.