Where does the tangent function come from?

The tangent function, along with sine and cosine, is one of the three most common trigonometric functions. In any right triangle, the tangent of an angle is the length of the opposite side (O) divided by the length of the adjacent side (A). In a formula, it is written simply as ‘tan’.

Where did the trigonometric functions come from?

The trigonometric functions. The use of trigonometric functions arises from the early connection between mathematics and astronomy. Early work with spherical triangles was as important as plane triangles. The first work on trigonometric functions related to chords of a circle.

How are the tangent and cotangent functions related?

Relationship between Tangent and Cotangent Observe that from the definition of tangent and cotangent, we obtain the following relationship between the tangent and cotangent functions: tan ⁡ ( θ ) = sin ⁡ ( θ ) cos ⁡ ( θ ) = 1 cos ⁡ ( θ ) sin ⁡ ( θ ) = 1 cot ⁡ ( θ ) .

Who discovered tangent function?

Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī
In the early 9th century AD, Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī produced accurate sine and cosine tables, and the first table of tangents. He was also a pioneer in spherical trigonometry.

What is the relationship between the tangent and cotangent functions?

From the graph of Observe that from the definition of tangent and cotangent, we obtain the following relationship between the tangent and cotangent functions: tan ⁡ ( θ) = sin ⁡ ( θ) cos ⁡ ( θ) = 1 cos ⁡ ( θ) sin ⁡ ( θ) = 1 cot ⁡ ( θ). .

Who is the founder of the tangent function?

The tangent function is an old mathematical function. It was mentioned in 1583 by Thomas Fincke who introduced the word “ tangens ” in Latin. Edmund Gunter (1624) used the notation “ tan “, and Johann Heinrich Lambert (1770) discovered the continued fraction representation of this function.

Who was the first person to use the cotangent function?

The cotangent function is an old mathematical function. It was mentioned in 1620 by E. Gunter who invented the notation of “cotangens”. Later on J. Keill (1726) and L. Euler (1748) used this function and its notation in their investigations.

How did the Egyptians use the tangent function?

The Tangent Function. The idea of using the length of shadows, both to obtain measurements of the height of physical objects and to mark time, had been used for thousands of years by the Egyptian and Babylonian civilisations. The instrument used to perform such measurements was called a shadow stick or gnomon,…