Trigonometry is the study of triangles – more specifically, the study of the angles and dimensions of triangles. Although this might sound simple, trigonometry is a vital part of modern engineering, design, architecture and other fields. Architects, draftsmen, engineers in every field, pilots, game developers, and even chemists use trigonometry. Trigonometry is a field of mathematics that plays an important role in a wide range of different careers.
Early study of triangles can be traced to the 2nd millennium BC, in Egyptian mathematics (Rhind Mathematical Papyrus) and Babylonian mathematics. Systematic study of trigonometric functions began in Hellenistic mathematics, reaching India as part of Hellenistic astronomy. In Indian astronomy, the study of trigonometric functions flourished in the Gupta period, especially due to Aryabhata (sixth century CE), who discovered the sine function. During the Middle Ages, the study of trigonometry continued in Islamic mathematics, by mathematicians such as Al-Khwarizmi and Abu al-Wafa. It became an independent discipline in the Islamic world, where all six trigonometric functions were known. Translations of Arabic and Greek texts led to trigonometry being adopted as a subject in the Latin West beginning in the Renaissance with Regiomontanus.
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