Which one came first? What is the difference except that pure is theorem-like and applied is ,well-application? They just go so long ago. For some reason I would think that the pure came first, but I will not be able to bet on that.
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I think that math first developed for practical reasons. Number systems developed so that people could add and subtract efficiently. Mostly to count money and measure areas. Trigonometry developed so that people could survey land and follow the stars and planets across the sky.
At some point mathematicians began asking themselves questions out of curiosity instead of necessity. Mathematics was originally considered to be a form of philosophy; which means that they took pure math very seriously.
I have been informed in no uncertain terms by some professors that there most certain is a difference and by others that there really is no difference. I think, as long as I get paid to do it, I don't care.
At some point mathematicians began asking themselves questions out of curiosity instead of necessity. Mathematics was originally considered to be a form of philosophy; which means that they took pure math very seriously.
I have been informed in no uncertain terms by some professors that there most certain is a difference and by others that there really is no difference. I think, as long as I get paid to do it, I don't care.
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No one really knows. They could've developed the math first, or they could've stumbled across it by mistake. It has happened before