Born of the desire to understand the workings of motions of the heavenly bodies, trigonometry gave the ancient Greeks the ability to predict their futures. Most of what we see of the subject in school comes from these heavenly origins; 15th century astronomer Regiomontanus called it "the foot of the ladder to the stars." In this Very Short Introduction Glen Van Brummelen shows how trigonometry connects mathematics to science, and has today become an indispensable tool in predicting cyclic patterns like animal populations and ocean tides. Its historical journey through major cultures such as medieval India and the Islamic World has taken it through disciplines such as geography and even religious practice. Trigonometry has also been a major player in the most startling mathematical developments of the modern world. Its interactions with the concept of infinity led to Taylor and Fourier series, some of the most practical tools of modern science. The birth of complex numbers led to a shocking union of exponential and trigonometric functions, creating the most beautiful formulas and powerful modelling tools in science. Finally, as Van Brummelen shows, trigonometry allows us to explore the strange new worlds of non-Euclidean geometries, opening up bizarre possibilities for the shape of space itself. And indeed, one of those new geometries - spherical - takes us full circle back to ancient Greek astronomers and European navigators, who first used it to chart their ways across the heavens and the earth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
22 Mathematical Labyrinths. Pathfinding by Boris Pritsker Vol. 21 Adventures in Recreational Mathematics: Selected Writings on Recreational Mathematics and its History (In 2 Volumes) by David Singmaster Vol. 20 X Games in Mathematics: ...
This book is designed for students to use alone or with a tutor or parent, and provides clear lessons with easy-to-learn techniques and plenty of examples.
Written by a leading expert, this book will help you if you are studying for an important exam or essay, or if you simply want to improve your knowledge.
Trigonometry. To the student: We are going to begin this chapter with a second definition for the six trigonometric functions. This second definition will be given in terms of right triangles. As you will see, it will not conflict with ...
This no-nonsense guide provides students and self-learners with a clear and readable study of trigonometry's most important ideas.
Homework Helpers: Trigonometry covers all of the topics in a typical trigonometry class, including: The unit circle Trigonometric functions Inverse trigonometric functions Identities Graphical analysis Applications This book also contains a ...
Written by teachers and educational specialists Get the concise review materials and practice you need to learn Trigonometry, including: Explanations of All Elements and Principles * Angles and quadrants * Graphs of trigonometric functions ...
The lessons are reinforced with practice problems throughout each chapter as well as chapter-end quizzes. This quick review is supplemented with 300+ multiple-choice questions available on CliffsNotes.com.
Following the same presentation of and features for Trigonometry for College Students, Seventh Edition, this text was built by beginning with the right angle definition and applications involving the solution of right triangles.
This volume is a welcome resource for teachers seeking an undergraduate text on advanced trigonometry. Ideal for self-study, this book offers a variety of topics with problems and answers. 1930 edition. Includes 79 figures.