In the mathematical sense, an integral is one of the fundamental concepts of calculus, a generalization of the notions of sum and area. Two main types of integrals are known:
- The indefinite integral — the family of all antiderivatives of an integrable function;
- The definite integral — a number equal to the limit of integral sums, expressing the area under a curve over a given interval.
The integral symbol (∫) was introduced by Leibniz in 1675 and is a stylized letter S, symbolizing a sum (from the Latin summa).
To integrate
To integrate (verb) has two main meanings:
- In mathematics — to find the integral of a function;
- In a general sense — to combine parts into a unified whole, to build an element into a system, to fold something into a broader context.
In the context of the novel's phrase: «What had happened integrated itself into the event...» — it implies that what had happened became part of a larger event, folded into it, and acquired a connection and unified structure with it.
Integration
Integration (noun) — the process of combining parts into a whole, characterized by the following aspects:
- Merging disparate elements into a single system;
- Establishing connections between previously separate components;
- Incorporating a new element into an existing structure;
- Creating a coherent whole out of disparate parts.
In the social sciences, the term is often used to describe the process by which individuals or groups are folded into a society, culture, or other social system.
In the artistic context of the novel, the metaphor of an event "integrating" underscores the process of making sense of and categorizing experience, as what's happening is gradually folded into the character's overall picture of the world — even as it remains unnamed, never quite given a final definition.