Trigonometry: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Glen Van Brummelen (PDF)

Description

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 themodern 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 toolsin 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.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐My daughter loves the real life scenarios, but thinks the explanations are a bit sparse.

⭐An enjoyable read about the development of trigonometry through the ages, but as Trigonometry: A Very Short Introduction lacks exercises it is not a teaching text. If wanting to become accomplished in school-level geometry I would be more inclined to, for example, Paul Abbot’s Understand Trigonometry (revised by Hugh Neil).

⭐Great book, very informative. I’ve always liked trigonometry and I’ve always wondered if there was more to it than what was taught in school. Turns out there is.

⭐I saw this at my library and picked it up on a whim. I was so impressed that I had to buy my own copy to add to my personal library.This book was extremely interesting and engaging. The prose was wonderful and a joy to read.I learned a ton about trigonometry. It gave me insights and history and I have not seen anywhere else. There are plenty of diagrams and careful explanations. You can follow right along if you’re so inclined, or just skip the details and keep reading without getting lost.Other pros: Book is not too short and not too long. So you’re not slogging through something that will bore you but you’re getting enough math content that you can actually follow the details. I also appreciate the small physical size of the book, which makes it easy to carry along when you are traveling.If you’re into math or curious about trigonometry, and have some basic high school recollections, give this book a shot.

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