Arithmetical Signs

Arithmetical Signs are arbitrary marks or symbols used to denote the operations to be performed on numbers, or the relations existing between them. The sign of Addition is +; of Subtraction, -; of Multiplication, ×; of Division, ÷; of Equality, =. De Morgan, followed by Stokes and others, introduced for division the convenient symbol /; thus, 18/3 has the same meaning as $18\; \backslash div\; 3$ or $\backslash frac\{18\}\{3\}$. The same signs as in Arithmetic are also used in Algebra; and an enumeration and explanation of them may be found in almost any treatise on either subject.