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replaced "exterior product" by "exterior differential" in II).
Georges Elencwajg
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I) The term exterior multiplication ("äussere Multiplication") is due to Grassmann, who introduced the term in his book (written in 1844)

Die Wissenschaft der extensiven Grösse oder die Ausdehnungslehre, eine neue Mathematische Disciplin"

As you can check in the table of contents of the book (on page 276), paragraphs §§34,35 are called Grundgesetze der äusseren Multiplication (Basic laws of exterior multiplication). Here is the scan of this book by Google .

II) The terminology exterior differential ("différentielle extérieure") was introduced in the 1930's by articles of Elie Cartan, inspired by Grassmann.

Here is a secondary reference from an Analysis course by Chatterji and another by Chern and Chevalley, in their analysis of Elie Cartan's mathematical contributions (cf. in particular pages 229 and 230 )

Georges Elencwajg
  • 47.5k
  • 14
  • 159
  • 241