Heavenly mathematics
Subtitle: the forgotten art of spherical trigonometry
By: Glen Van Brummelen
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Princeton, N.J
Language: eng
Number of pages: 192
ISBN-13: 9780691148922
Subjects: Spherical trigonometry; Trigonometry
Description: "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." -- Book jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Heavenly mathematics; title: Exploring the sphere; title: The ancient approach; title: The medieval approach; title: The modern approach: right-angled triangles; title: The modern approach: oblique triangles; title: Areas, angles, and polyhedra; title: Stereographic projection; title: Navigation.