The Development of Trigonometry
Overview
Even in the time of the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, theorems involving ratios of sides of similar triangles were used extensively for measurement, construction, and for an attempt to understand the movement in the heavens. The Greeks began the systematic study of angles and lengths associated with these angles, again in the service of astronomy. The history of trigonometry is intimately associated with that of astronomy, being its primary mathematical tool. Trigonometry will eventually become its own branch of mathematics, as the study of the modern trigonometric functions.
Background
The people in the ancient civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia looked to the heavens. The heavens told the people when to plant and when to harvest. In order to commemorate important events, people needed a yearly calendar. Observing the position of the Sun is necessary for calendar making. In order to tell the time of day,one must look at the lengths of shadows. These shadow lengths are measured using an upright stick in the ground and measuring the length of its shadow. Trigonometry has its origins in the calculation of these measurements. Indeed, the modern degree measurement for arcs and angles has its origins in Babylonian measurement.
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