Abstract

This article considers the Dissertatio de Arte combinatoria, published in 1666 and relatively neglected by Leibniz scholars. However, in recent times the tide seems to be changing. Our work presents three main parts (sections II, III and IV, respectively). The first one exposes the contributions of M. Serres and E. Knobloch, viewed from our standpoint. The second one emphasizes the role played by the symmetric group as the underlying mathematical structure of the opus. Finally we treat the caput variationis which, in our opinion, is the fundamental concept of the Dissertatio. Moreover, it is suggested that the importance of such a theoretical insight may be traced in many aspects of Leibniz's subsequent thought