The explanation could be simple: the symbol is a line that loops itself and has no beginning or end, immediately signifying eternity and endlessness. It’s unclear what inspired Wallis’ design for the symbol – which looks like the number 8 on its side. Just like ‘+’ is a symbol for adding and ‘=’ means ‘equal’, ‘∞’ means ‘infinite’. What Wallis did, therefore, wasn’t to invent the idea of endlessness, but to invent a mathematical symbol for it. The first person known to have written about the idea of infinity from a scientific point of view was Archimedes – a Greek mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and engineer who lived over 2,300 years ago. Though the symbol has been in use for almost 500 years, the concept of infinity, or endlessness, has existed for much longer – since the times of the ancients. The symbol itself was introduced by the English mathematician and priest John Wallis in 1655. The infinity symbol, also known as the lemniscate, is used primarily in mathematics and physics to refer to something that has no end.
Read on to find out more about the history of the symbol, its potential meanings, and ideas on how to incorporate it into a truly unique tattoo of your very own.Īnd don’t forget to check out our huge gallery of infinity tattoos!
Gaining in popularity through fashion accessories and jewelry, it quickly became one of the most recognizable and widespread symbols in tattoo design, too.Įlegant in its simplicity, rich in meaning and versatile in design, the infinity symbol can make for an awesome tattoo for both women and men. The infinity symbol has become something of a staple of contemporary tattooing over the past decade. Check out some of the coolest infinity tattoo ideas that we’ve ever seen! Also, learn what the symbol means as a tattoo.