Amazon cover image
Image from Amazon.com

Heavenly mathematics the forgotten art of spherical trigonometry / Glen Van Brummelen.

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, (c)2013.Description: 1 online resource (xvi, 192 pages, 8. pages color plates) : illustrations (some color), mapsContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • computer
Carrier type:
  • online resource
ISBN:
  • 9781400844807
Other title:
  • Forgotten art of spherical trigonometry
Subject(s): Genre/Form: LOC classification:
  • QA535 .H438 2013
Online resources: Available additional physical forms:
Contents:
Exploring the sphere -- The ancient approach -- The medieval approach -- The modern approach: right-angled triangles -- The modern approach: oblique triangles -- Areas, angles, and polyhedra -- Stereographic projection -- Navigation.
Subject: Spherical trigonometry was at the heart of astronomy and ocean-going navigation for two millennia. The discipline was a mainstay of mathematics education for centuries, and it was a standard subject in high schools until the 1950s. Today, however, it is rarely taught. Heavenly Mathematics traces the rich history of this forgotten art, revealing how the cultures of classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the modern West used spherical trigonometry to chart the heavens and the Earth. Glen Van Brummelen explores this exquisite branch of mathematics and its role in ancient astronomy, geography, and cartography; Islamic religious rituals; celestial navigation; polyhedra; stereographic projection; and more. He conveys the sheer beauty of spherical trigonometry, providing readers with a new appreciation for its elegant proofs and often surprising conclusions.
Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title. Log in to add tags.
Star ratings
    Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Includes bibliographies and index.

Heavenly mathematics -- Exploring the sphere -- The ancient approach -- The medieval approach -- The modern approach: right-angled triangles -- The modern approach: oblique triangles -- Areas, angles, and polyhedra -- Stereographic projection -- Navigation.

Spherical trigonometry was at the heart of astronomy and ocean-going navigation for two millennia. The discipline was a mainstay of mathematics education for centuries, and it was a standard subject in high schools until the 1950s. Today, however, it is rarely taught. Heavenly Mathematics traces the rich history of this forgotten art, revealing how the cultures of classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the modern West used spherical trigonometry to chart the heavens and the Earth. Glen Van Brummelen explores this exquisite branch of mathematics and its role in ancient astronomy, geography, and cartography; Islamic religious rituals; celestial navigation; polyhedra; stereographic projection; and more. He conveys the sheer beauty of spherical trigonometry, providing readers with a new appreciation for its elegant proofs and often surprising conclusions.

COPYRIGHT NOT covered - Click this link to request copyright permission:

https://lib.ciu.edu/copyright-request-form

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.