Overview

Trigonometry is one of the most practical branches of mathematics, finding uses in engineering, physics, chemistry, surveying, and virtually every other science and applied science. It is also one of the oldest branches of applied mathematics; practical problems in crude trigonometry have been dated to Egypt in about 1850 B.C., and the ancient Greeks developed more sophisticated trigonometry about 2,000 years later. Since that time, trigonometry has played a crucial role in many branches of mathematics and science, and is indispensable to our understanding of science and technical disciplines today.

Background

The earliest mention of a problem relating to trigonometry is in an Egyptian papyrus dated to about 1850 B.C. Although the concepts used are not stated in conventional trigonometric terms, it is obvious from the context that a form of "proto-trigonometry" existed at this time and was used to help ensure...