Bibliograph

Heavenly Mathematics, the Forgotten Art of Spherical Trigonometry, Glen Van Brummelen

Type

Label

Heavenly Mathematics, the Forgotten Art of Spherical Trigonometry, Glen Van Brummelen

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Heavenly Mathematics

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

Glen Van Brummelen

Sub title

the Forgotten Art of Spherical Trigonometry

Summary

Heavenly Mathematics traces the rich history of spherical trigonometry, revealing how the cultures of classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the modern West used this forgotten art to chart the heavens and the Earth. Once at the heart of astronomy and ocean-going navigation for two millennia, the discipline was also a mainstay of mathematics education for centuries and taught widely until the 1950s. 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 of its elegant proofs and often surprising conclusions. Heavenly Mathematics is illustrated throughout with stunning historical images and informative drawings and diagrams. This unique compendium also features easy-to-use appendixes as well as exercises that originally appeared in textbooks from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries

Target audience

adult

Classification