Heavenly Arithmetic: The Forgotten Artwork of Spherical Trigonometry

An unparalleled illustrated historical past of spherical trigonometry from antiquity to at the moment

Heavenly Arithmetic traces the wealthy historical past of spherical trigonometry, revealing how the cultures of classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the trendy West used this forgotten artwork to chart the heavens and the Earth. As soon as on the coronary heart of astronomy and ocean-going navigation for 2 millennia, the self-discipline was additionally a mainstay of arithmetic schooling for hundreds of years and taught extensively till the Fifties. Glen Van Brummelen explores this beautiful department of arithmetic and its position in historic astronomy, geography, and cartography; Islamic spiritual rituals; celestial navigation; polyhedra; stereographic projection; and extra. He conveys the sheer fantastic thing about spherical trigonometry, offering readers with a brand new appreciation of its elegant proofs and infrequently stunning conclusions. Heavenly Arithmetic is illustrated all through with gorgeous historic photos and informative drawings and diagrams. This distinctive compendium additionally options easy-to-use appendixes in addition to workout routines that initially appeared in textbooks from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries.