SME 430: History of Mathematics
Week 9: Trigonometry
1
Itinerary
• Announcements
• History of Mathematics Jigsaw
• Biographies
• Timeline
• Discussion on Trigonometry
• Homework
2
Announcements
• Grading is up-to-date. If you’re missing grades, let
us know.
• Discussion posts
• Broken links - let us know when they’re
updated.
• Difference between Euclidean & Non-
Euclidean Geometries
3
History of
Mathematics Jigsaw
• For homework you were assigned to read the remaining
sections of the beginning chapter “History of
Mathematics in a Large Nutshell”
• Get together with groups of your same color (15 min)
• Become experts on an assigned chapter.
• Talk about the main ideas, and prepare a 3-minute
presentation
• Get together with groups of the same number (25 min)
• Give three minute presentations on the big ideas
from your chapters
4
Meanwhile, in India
Arabic Mathematics
Medieval Europe & The 15th & 16th Centuries
Algebra Comes of Age
Calculus and Applied Mathematics
Rigor and Professionalism
Abstraction, Computers , and New Applications
5
Biographies
al-Khwarizmi Diophantus Gauss Galois
6
Timeline
7
Math Timeline
Brahmagupta (598-670) - Math & Astro & Ujjain, Brahmasphutasiddhanta, operations with zero
Bhaskara (~600-~680) - Commentaries on Aryabhatiya, and improved pi approximations
Li Chunfeng - (602-670) - Astronomy & calendar reform
600 A.D. 650 A.D. 700 A.D.
8
Math Timeline
s with zero
tions
Lalla (~720-~790) - Application of math to astronomy, and on the sphere
Al-Khwarizmi (~780-
~775 - ~850) - House of
House of Wisdom scholar, Hisab
Wisdom al-jabr w'al-muqabala,
founded in completion &
Baghdad balancing
700 A.D. 750 A.D. 800 A.D.
8
Trigonometry
9
10
Ladder Against a Wall
• Suppose that you had a ladder that
was 10 feet in length.
• If the ladder isn’t rated for
inclinations greater than 65
degrees from horizontal, what’s
the tallest height the ladder can
reach?
• If there’s a 3 foot wide flower bed
at the bottom of a wall that you
can’t put your ladder in, what’s
the tallest height ladder can
reach?
11
12
12
Trig Discussion
• Get together with those around you and discuss the
following questions...
• What is trigonometry?
• Where did trigonometry come from? What
problems did it help solve?
• What is the origin of the word sine and cosine?
• What are common uses of trigonometry?
• What are the different ways of visualizing
trigonometry and trigonometric ratios?
13
Trig Applet
• http://catcode.com/trig/trig01.html
14
Homework
• Read the following sketches...
• 8 - The Cossic Art (Writing Algebra with
Symbols) - p. 95-100
• 9 - Linear Thinking (Solving First Degree
Equations) - p. 101-104
• Respond to the discussion forum online.
15
Math Through the Ages
A Gentle History for Teachers and Others
William P. Berlinghoff
Fernando Q. Gouvea
Meanwhile, in India
(Page 24)
• After 8th century math started (not much before)
• Influence by Babylonian astronomy
• Math problems inspired by astronomical questions
• Decimal number system – most important Indian discovery
• 1-9, and 0 was a place holder
• Quadratic formula used but done in words
• Did give proof for their math
Arabic Mathematics
(Page 28)
• Focus on positive numbers
• Huge part of math has Algebra
o Did it all in words (not numbers)
• Focused on Euclid’s 5th postulate
• Discovered 3 rows of Pascal’s triangle
Medieval Europe
(Page 32)
• 2 schools developed out of the cathedral
o Tribium – focused on grammar and logic
o Qudribium – more advanced and focused on music and astronomy
• Trade opened allowing lost of math to spread
• 15th/16th century – Maya hand sophisticated structures for problems
o Little trade of math between groups, base 23 and an elaborate calendar
Algebra Comes of Age
(Page 37)
• 16th/17th century expressed with words
• Simple and non complex problems interested in connection between algebra and
geometry
• Theory of polynomial/roots evaluated
• Discort of Format found the coordinate plane by connecting geometry and
Algebra
• Format came up with questions about ratios and algebra
Calculus and Applied Mathematics
(Page 42)
• Calc came about because they wanted to understand the universe
• Cavalier worked on principal of indivisibles
o Helped to get area and volume of shapes that it was once harder to get
• Euler was an important mathematician of this time
o His textbooks establish style and notation of calculus
• Hard for them to prove it
Rigor and Professionalism
(Page 47)
• Physical problems led to more rigor of problems
• Mathematics became more professional because they had to learn how to teach
• Developed MC French schools
o Metric system was created and standardized
• Cauchy taught calculus and redid the foundations of calculus
o He wanted to “do calc right” and developed a derivative and integral
• Computations of algebraic side of calc
• Moved to find rigor for Algebra
• Move from only allowing to think of some ways to considering ALL ways
• A push towards abstraction
o Geometry – Euclid’s – Albert Einstein developed new line of thinking
o Theoretical Physics – Joseph Forner – “Fourner series”
• Renan hypothesis – written when something still needs to be proven
• Linking non-Euclidean with algebra
• Rigor and abstraction were key to success to progress in math
Abstraction, Computers, and New Applications
(Page 53)
• Golden Age of math
• Increase in math professionals and specifications
o Formalist – systematic math
o Institutionalist – not all math ideas are well founded
• Push towards abstractions
• Made them look at old problems differently
• French revolutionized Algebra, but discrepancies over who wrote the book
• Math then moved more towards application
• Computer systems allowed larger computations to be done
• Questions over what we teach
• Governments looked to mathematics to solve problems
