Robert Recorde, The designer of the equals sign, introduced plus and minus to Britain in 1557 in The Whetstone of Witte:[14] "There be other 2 signes in often use ofwel which the first kan zijn made thus + and betokeneth more: the other is thus made − and betokeneth lesse." https://cuwip.ucsd.edu/members/felonyclick9/activity/486433/