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.

This book offers a guided tour of geometry from euclid through to algebraic geometry. It shows how mathematicians use a variety of techniques to tackle problems , and it links geometry to other branches of mathematics. Many problems and examples are included to aid understanding.

In a sense, trigonometry sits at the center of high school mathematics. It originates in the study of geometry when we investigate the ratios of sides in similar right triangles, or when we look at the relationship between a chord of a circle and its arc. It leads to a much deeper study of periodic functions, and of the so-called transcendental functions, which cannot be described using finite algebraic processes. It also has many applications to physics, astronomy, and other branches of science. It is a very old subject. Many of the geometric results that we now state in trigonometric terms were given a purely geometric exposition by Euclid. Ptolemy, an early astronomer, began to go beyond Euclid, using the geometry of the time to construct what we now call tables of values of trigonometric functions. Trigonometry is an important introduction to calculus, where one stud ies what mathematicians call analytic properties of functions. One of the goals of this book is to prepare you for a course in calculus by directing your attention away from particular values of a function to a study of the function as an object in itself. This way of thinking is useful not just in calculus, but in many mathematical situations. So trigonometry is a part of pre-calculus, and is related to other pre-calculus topics, such as exponential and logarithmic functions, and complex numbers."

AUTHOR Chris McMullen earned his Ph.D. in physics from Oklahoma State University and currently teaches physics at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He developed the "Improve Your Math Fluency" series of workbooks to help students become more fluent in basic math skills.WHAT TO EXPECT This is a workbook designed to offer plenty of practice with essential skills. It is not a textbook designed to "teach" trigonometry, but a workbook designed to supplement a student's instruction in trigonometry. Examples and a brief description of the concepts are included to serve as a quick refresher and a guide. If you need more instruction, you should use this workbook in combination with a textbook. The last chapter involves applications of trig identities, which is a challenging topic that will mostly interest more advanced students. A few chapters are intended to help students memorize the trig functions of common angles like 30, 150, or 315 degrees, which will be especially useful for students who may take exams without a calculator (that's the case with the MCAT and many math and science courses). There may be more practice than many students need, which is much better than having too little practice. Any extra pages may be helpful for teachers or parents with multiple children.DESCRIPTION This "Trigonometry Essentials Practice Workbook with Answers" provides ample practice for developing fluency in very fundamental trigonometry skills. Every problem can be answered without a calculator, which is very helpful for students who aren't allowed to use a calculator. This is the case in some trig and physics courses, as well as some standardized exams (like the MCAT).CONTENTS This workbook is conveniently divided up into 11 chapters so that students can focus on one trigonometry skill at a time. Skills include the following: converting between degrees and radians;expressing sine, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant, and cotangent as fractions by looking at right triangles;solving for unknown sides and angles in 45 -45 -90 and 30 -60 -90 right triangles;determining the sine, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant, and cotangent of multiples of 30 and 45 up to 360 (working with both degrees and radians);practice finding the reference angle for angles in Quadrants II, III, and IV;finding the inverse trig functions;applying the law of sines and the law of cosines to solve for unknown sides and angles in acute and obtuse triangles;solving problems with trig identities (like the angle sum and difference formulas);and solving algebraic equations that feature basic trig functions.EXAMPLES Each section begins with a few pages of instructions for how to solve the problems followed by some examples. These examples should serve as a useful guide until students are able to solve the problems independently.ANSWERS Answers to exercises are tabulated at the back of the book. This helps students develop confidence and ensures that students practice correct techniques, rather than practice making mistakes.PHOTOCOPIES The copyright notice permits parents/teachers who purchase one copy or borrow one copy from a library to make photocopies for their own children/students only. This is very convenient if you have multiple children/students or if a child/student needs additional practice.INTRODUCTION An introduction describes how parents and teachers can help students make the most of this workbook. Students are encouraged to time and score each page. In this way, they can try to have fun improving on their records, which can help lend them confidence in their math skills.

A fun, entertaining exploration of the ideas and people behind the growth of trigonometry Trigonometry 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.

"The Mathematics of the Heavens and the Earth" is the first major history in English of the origins and early development of trigonometry. Glen Van Brummelen identifies the earliest known trigonometric precursors in ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Greece, and he examines the revolutionary discoveries of Hipparchus, the Greek astronomer believed to have been the first to make systematic use of trigonometry in the second century BC while studying the motions of the stars. The book traces trigonometry's development into a full-fledged mathematical discipline in India and Islam; explores its applications to such areas as geography and seafaring navigation in the European Middle Ages and Renaissance; and shows how trigonometry retained its ancient roots at the same time that it became an important part of the foundation of modern mathematics.

"The Mathematics of the Heavens and the Earth" looks at the controversies as well, including disputes over whether Hipparchus was indeed the father of trigonometry, whether Indian trigonometry is original or derived from the Greeks, and the extent to which Western science is indebted to Islamic trigonometry and astronomy. The book also features extended excerpts of translations of original texts, and detailed yet accessible explanations of the mathematics in them.

No other book on trigonometry offers the historical breadth, analytical depth, and coverage of non-Western mathematics that readers will find in "The Mathematics of the Heavens and the Earth."

In this book, trigonometry is presented mainly through the solution of specific problems. The problems are meant to help the reader consolidate their knowledge of the subject. In addition, they serve to motivate and provide context for the concepts, definitions, and results as they are presented. In this way, it enables a more active mastery of the subject, directly linking the results of the theory with their applications. Some historical notes are also embedded in selected chapters.The problems in the book are selected from a variety of disciplines, such as physics, medicine, architecture, and so on. They include solving triangles, trigonometric equations, and their applications. Taken together, the problems cover the entirety of material contained in a standard trigonometry course which is studied in high school and college.We have also added some interesting, in our opinion, entertainment problems. To solve them, no special knowledge is required. While they are not directly related to the subject of the book, they reflect its spirit and contribute to a more lighthearted reading of the material.

An interdisciplinary history of trigonometry from the mid-sixteenth century to the early twentieth The Doctrine of Triangles offers an interdisciplinary history of trigonometry that spans four centuries, starting in 1550 and concluding in the 1900s. Glen Van Brummelen tells the story of trigonometry as it evolved from an instrument for understanding the heavens to a practical tool, used in fields such as surveying and navigation. In Europe, China, and America, trigonometry aided and was itself transformed by concurrent mathematical revolutions, as well as the rise of science and technology. Following its uses in mid-sixteenth-century Europe as the "foot of the ladder to the stars" and the mathematical helpmate of astronomy, trigonometry became a ubiquitous tool for modeling various phenomena, including animal populations and sound waves. In the late sixteenth century, trigonometry increasingly entered the physical world through the practical disciplines, and its societal reach expanded with the invention of logarithms. Calculus shifted mathematical reasoning from geometric to algebraic patterns of thought, and trigonometry's participation in this new mathematical analysis grew, encouraging such innovations as complex numbers and non-Euclidean geometry. Meanwhile in China, trigonometry was evolving rapidly too, sometimes merging with indigenous forms of knowledge, and with Western discoveries. In the nineteenth century, trigonometry became even more integral to science and industry as a fundamental part of the science and engineering toolbox, and a staple subject in high school classrooms. A masterful combination of scholarly rigor and compelling narrative, The Doctrine of Triangles brings trigonometry's rich historical past full circle into the modern era.

Larson's TRIGONOMETRY incorporates real-world applications, ongoing review, and innovative technology. How Do You See It? exercises give you practice applying the concepts, and new Summarize features and Checkpoint problems reinforce understanding of the skill sets to help you better prepare for tests.