Maor, Eli,

Trigonometric delights / Eli Maor. - 1 online resource (xiv, 236 pages) - Princeton science library . - Princeton science library. .

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Prologue: Ahmes the Scribe, 1650 B.C. -- Recreational Mathematics in Ancient Egypt -- 1. Angles -- 2. Chords -- Plimpton 322: The Earliest Trigonometric Table? -- 3. Six Functions Come of Age -- Johann M�uller, alias Regiomontanus -- 4. Trigonometry Becomes Analytic -- Fran�cois Vi�ete -- 5. Measuring Heaven and Earth -- Abraham De Moivre -- 6. Two Theorems from Geometry -- 7. Epicycloids and Hypocycloids -- Maria Agnesi and Her ""Witch -- 8. Variations on a Theme by Gauss -- 9. Had Zeno Only Known This! -- 10. (sin x)/x

A fun, entertaining exploration of the ideas and people behind the growth of trigonometryTrigonometry has a reputation as a dry, difficult branch of mathematics, a glorified form of geometry complicated by tedious computation. In Trigonometric Delights, Eli Maor dispels this view. Rejecting the usual descriptions of sine, cosine, and their trigonometric relatives, he brings the subject to life in a compelling blend of history, biography, and mathematics. From the proto-trigonometry of the Egyptian pyramid builders and the first true trigonometry developed by Greek astronomers, to the epicycles and hypocycles of the toy Spirograph, Maor presents both a survey of the main elements of trigonometry and a unique account of its vital contribution to science and social growth. A tapestry of stories, curiosities, insights, and illustrations, Trigonometric Delights irrevocably changes how we see this essential mathematical discipline.

0691202206 9780691202204 9780691202198 0691202192

22573/ctvqs395w JSTOR 9453349 IEEE


Trigonometry.
Trigonom�etrie.
trigonometry.
MATHEMATICS--History & Philosophy.
Trigonometry.


Electronic books.

QA531 / .M394 2020

516.24/2