Definition of exponentially

The word "exponentially" has its origins in the 17th century. The term "exponent" comes from the Latin "exponentem", meaning "to show forth", and was first used in the mathematical context of algebra by French mathematician François Viète in 1591. Viète used the term to describe a symbol that represented an unknown quantity, and this concept was later developed by other mathematicians such as René Descartes. The term "exponential" was coined in the 18th century, derived from the Latin "ex" (meaning "out from") and "ponentem" (meaning "to place"). In the context of mathematics, exponential refers to a function that is raised to a power or exponent, such as x^n. The combination of the two terms "exponential" and "ly" led to the creation of the word "exponentially", which is now used to describe growth or change that increases rapidly, such as population growth or technological advancements.