The Father of Trigonometry - 3474 Words

The first trigonometric table was apparently compiled by Hipparchus, who is now consequently known as the father of trigonometry.[3] Sumerian astronomers introduced angle measure, using a division of circles into 360 degrees.[4]They and their successors the Babylonians studied the ratios of the sides of similar triangles and discovered some properties of these ratios, but did not turn that into a systematic method for finding sides and angles of triangles. The ancient Nubians used a similar methodology.[5] The ancient Greeks transformed trigonometry into an ordered science.[6] Classical Greek mathematicians (such as Euclid and Archimedes) studied the properties of chordsand inscribed angles in circles, and proved theorems that are†¦show more content†¦Many English speakers find it easy to remember what sides of the right triangle are equal to sine, cosine, or tangent, by memorizing the word SOH-CAH-TOA (see below under Mnemonics). The reciprocals of these functions are named the cosecant (csc or cosec), secant (sec), and cotangent (cot), respectively: The inverse functions are called the arcsine, arccosine, and arctangent, respectively. There are arithmetic relations between these functions, which are known as trigonometric identities. The cosine, cotangent, and cosecant are so named because they are respectively the sine, tangent, and secant of the complementary angle abbreviated to co-. With these functions one can answer virtually all questions about arbitrary triangles by using the law of sines and the law of cosines. These laws can be used to compute the remaining angles and sides of any triangle as soon as two sides and their included angle or two angles and a side or three sides are known. These laws are useful in all branches of geometry, since every polygon may be described as a finite combination of triangles. [edit]Extending the definitions Fig. 1a - Sine and cosine of an angle ÃŽ ¸ defined using the unit circle. The above definitions apply to angles between 0 and 90 degrees (0 and Ï€/2 radians) only. Using the unit circle, one can extend them to all positive and negative arguments (seetrigonometric function). The trigonometric functions are periodic, with aShow MoreRelatedHistory of Trigonometry4574 Words   |  19 PagesRunning Head: History of Trigonometry History of Trigonometry Rome Fiedler History of Mathematics 501 University of Akron April 29, 2012 History of Trigonometry: An Introduction Trigonometry is useful in our world. By exploring where these concepts come from provides an understanding in putting this mathematics to use. The term Trigonometry comes from the Greek word trigon, meaning triangle and the Greek word meatria meaning measurement. However itRead MoreGeorg Ferdinand, Philipp Cantor857 Words   |  4 PagesGeorg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor was born on March 3, 1845 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His father, Georg Waldemar Cantor, was a successful merchant working as a wholesaling agent, then later found another job as a broker in the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange. Georg’s father was born in Denmark and had a deep passion for culture and arts. His mother, Maria Anna Bà ¶hm, was from Russia and very musical. Georg inherited his love for music and arts from his parents, considering he was a wonderfulRead MoreAnnual Islamic Symposium On The Arts And Sciences1042 Words   |  5 Pageswide reaching field has some of the most practical use s today and that all came from these arab mathematicians. Trigonometry is the branch of math dealing with angles and triangles and it is important to surveyors and astronomers. Trigonometry was mostly developed by Al-Battani an astronomer and mathematician who created tables giving ratios of the sides of right triangles. Trigonometry was developed in the tenth century within which the functions of sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecantRead More Leonhard Euler Essay672 Words   |  3 Pages Leonhard Euler Euler made large bounds in modern analytic geometry and trigonometry. He made decisive and formative contributions to geometry, calculus and number theory. Born: 15 April 1707 in Basel, Switzerland Died: 18 Sept 1783 in St Petersburg, Russia Introduction Eulers father wanted his son to follow him into the church and sent him to the University of Basel to prepare for the ministry. However geometry soon became his favourite subject. Euler obtained his fathers consentRead MoreShort Story925 Words   |  4 Pagessecond time as he looked at his son strangely. â€Å"Oh, um†¦ I-I—† Phillip stuttered. â€Å"The trigonometry help, dear,† Krista stated. â€Å"Did everything go alright? Did you get back on track in your class?† â€Å"Um, yes, I guess it all went alright,† answered Phillip, â€Å"but, I’m still going to need to stay after for probably the rest of the week to get completely caught up.† â€Å"You’re that far behind?† asked Krista. â€Å"Trigonometry is hard!† â€Å"Alright, alright,† Krista backpedaled a bit defensively. â€Å"You can take asRead MoreThe Importance Of A Few College General Education Courses1070 Words   |  5 Pageswrite research papers. Teachers and those who work in education also need sharp writing skills. Like medical professionals, those working in education must be able to write up reports on their students. 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