The Study Of Mathematics Elements Of Trigonometry

The Study of Mathematics: Elements of trigonometry

Elements of Mathematics

This textbook offers a rigorous presentation of mathematics before the advent of calculus. Fundamental concepts in algebra, geometry, and number theory are developed from the foundations of set theory along an elementary, inquiry-driven path. Thought-provoking examples and challenging problems inspired by mathematical contests motivate the theory, while frequent historical asides reveal the story of how the ideas were originally developed. Beginning with a thorough treatment of the natural numbers via Peano’s axioms, the opening chapters focus on establishing the natural, integral, rational, and real number systems. Plane geometry is introduced via Birkhoff’s axioms of metric geometry, and chapters on polynomials traverse arithmetical operations, roots, and factoring multivariate expressions. An elementary classification of conics is given, followed by an in-depth study of rational expressions. Exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions complete the picture, driven by inequalities that compare them with polynomial and rational functions. Axioms and limits underpin the treatment throughout, offering not only powerful tools, but insights into non-trivial connections between topics. Elements of Mathematics is ideal for students seeking a deep and engaging mathematical challenge based on elementary tools. Whether enhancing the early undergraduate curriculum for high achievers, or constructing a reflective senior capstone, instructors will find ample material for enquiring mathematics majors. No formal prerequisites are assumed beyond high school algebra, making the book ideal for mathematics circles and competition preparation. Readers who are more advanced in their mathematical studies will appreciate the interleaving of ideas and illuminating historical details.

The Mathematics of the Heavens and the Earth

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.