Prosthaphaeresis revisited. (English) Zbl 0641.01002

Thoren, Victor E.

Hist. Math. 15, No. 1, 32-39 (1988).

Dealing with the trigonometric identities for the product of two sines and the product of two cosines the author argues that the former equation was discovered by Johannes Werner aroung 1510 and the latter by Joost Bürgi around 1585. The method of prosthaphairesis, however, concerned with simplifying calculation by means of these equations, was developed by Paul Wittich of Breslau and, in 1580, communicated by him to Tycho Brahe at Hven where it became part of the calculational routine used for the reduction of observational data.

Reviewer: Kr. P. Moesgaard

MSC:

01A40	History of mathematics in the 15th and 16th centuries, Renaissance
85-03	History of astronomy and astrophysics

Keywords:

trigonometry; prosthaphairesis; Tycho Brahe; priority; Paul Wittich

References:

[1]	Björnbo, A, Johannis verneri de triangulis sphaericis, Abhandlungen zur geschichte der mathematischen wissenschaften, 24, 140-175, (1907) · JFM 38.0066.01
[2]	Brahe, T, (), 15 vols. · JFM 47.0035.08
[3]	Braunmühl, A.von, Beitrag zur geschichte der prosthaphaeretischen methode, Bibliotheca Mathematica, 10, 105-108, (1896)
[4]	Braunmühl, A.von, ()
[5]	Burmeister, K.H, (), 3 vols.
[6]	Cantor, M, ()
[7]	Dreyer, J.L.E, On tycho Brahe’s manual of trigonometry, The observatory, 39, 127-131, (1916)
[8]	Gingerich, O; Westman, R, Paul wittich and the tycho connection, ()
[9]	Jardine, N, The birth of history and philosophy of science, (1983), Cambridge Univ. Press Cambridge
[10]	Studnicka, F.I, Tychonis brahe triangulorum planorum et sphaericorum praxis arithmetica. qua maximus eorum, praesertim in astronomicis usus compendiose explicatur, (1886), Prague
[11]	Ursus, N, De hypothesibus astronomicis: seu systemate mundano, (1597), Prague
[12]	Wolf, R, Astronomische mitteilungen, (1871), Nr. XXXI
[13]	Wolf, R, Astronomische mitteilungen, (1873), Nr. XXXII