How was the system of $degrees$ devised? [closed]Why do we use the inverse conversion formula to convert slope per radians to slope per degreesWhy does using different units of angle affect the rate of change?Derivative of the $sin(x)$ when $x$ is measured in degreesEuler's Identity in DegreesSlant Angle of a Cone in Comparison with the Degree of a Circle SectorFinding $2$ points from angle.Trigonometry Radians helpWhy do we use $fracpi180$ to convert from degrees to radians?Make object orbit around another with Degrees only (Not radians)Antiderivative of $sinx$ when $x$ is given in degrees
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How was the system of $degrees$ devised? [closed]
Why do we use the inverse conversion formula to convert slope per radians to slope per degreesWhy does using different units of angle affect the rate of change?Derivative of the $sin(x)$ when $x$ is measured in degreesEuler's Identity in DegreesSlant Angle of a Cone in Comparison with the Degree of a Circle SectorFinding $2$ points from angle.Trigonometry Radians helpWhy do we use $fracpi180$ to convert from degrees to radians?Make object orbit around another with Degrees only (Not radians)Antiderivative of $sinx$ when $x$ is given in degrees
$begingroup$
We are all familiar with the equivalence relationship between radians and degrees,
$$1^c =big(frac180pibig)^o$$
I was wondering what else degrees are equivalent to.
What is the basis of degrees ?
With the assistance of what thing was the degree developed ?
geometry trigonometry math-history
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
$endgroup$
closed as off-topic by Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo, Alex Provost Mar 19 at 4:32
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question is not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center." – Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo
add a comment |
$begingroup$
We are all familiar with the equivalence relationship between radians and degrees,
$$1^c =big(frac180pibig)^o$$
I was wondering what else degrees are equivalent to.
What is the basis of degrees ?
With the assistance of what thing was the degree developed ?
geometry trigonometry math-history
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
$endgroup$
closed as off-topic by Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo, Alex Provost Mar 19 at 4:32
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question is not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center." – Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo
2
$begingroup$
Ancient history rather than maths. The Babylonians liked base 60 so 360 was quite a neat number to them. Also, it is approximately the number of days in a year so the Earth moves about 1 degree around its orbit each day. A comment rather than an answer since I have not researched or verified these points.
$endgroup$
– badjohn
Mar 16 at 8:42
2
$begingroup$
It might be better to ask this in the History of Science and Math StackExchange.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Mar 16 at 9:21
2
$begingroup$
A quick google would have answered this question.
$endgroup$
– Martin Hansen
Mar 16 at 10:08
$begingroup$
Are you asking why the number 360 was chosen specifically, or how the concept of "angle" arose in the first place?
$endgroup$
– Jack M
Mar 16 at 12:04
$begingroup$
Kind of why the number 360 was chosen
$endgroup$
– Mad Dawg
Mar 16 at 12:07
add a comment |
$begingroup$
We are all familiar with the equivalence relationship between radians and degrees,
$$1^c =big(frac180pibig)^o$$
I was wondering what else degrees are equivalent to.
What is the basis of degrees ?
With the assistance of what thing was the degree developed ?
geometry trigonometry math-history
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
$endgroup$
We are all familiar with the equivalence relationship between radians and degrees,
$$1^c =big(frac180pibig)^o$$
I was wondering what else degrees are equivalent to.
What is the basis of degrees ?
With the assistance of what thing was the degree developed ?
geometry trigonometry math-history
geometry trigonometry math-history
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
edited Mar 16 at 10:35
Martin Hansen
720114
720114
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
asked Mar 16 at 8:23
Mad DawgMad Dawg
425
425
closed as off-topic by Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo, Alex Provost Mar 19 at 4:32
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question is not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center." – Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo
closed as off-topic by Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo, Alex Provost Mar 19 at 4:32
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question is not about mathematics, within the scope defined in the help center." – Somos, dantopa, Abcd, Cesareo
2
$begingroup$
Ancient history rather than maths. The Babylonians liked base 60 so 360 was quite a neat number to them. Also, it is approximately the number of days in a year so the Earth moves about 1 degree around its orbit each day. A comment rather than an answer since I have not researched or verified these points.
$endgroup$
– badjohn
Mar 16 at 8:42
2
$begingroup$
It might be better to ask this in the History of Science and Math StackExchange.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Mar 16 at 9:21
2
$begingroup$
A quick google would have answered this question.
$endgroup$
– Martin Hansen
Mar 16 at 10:08
$begingroup$
Are you asking why the number 360 was chosen specifically, or how the concept of "angle" arose in the first place?
$endgroup$
– Jack M
Mar 16 at 12:04
$begingroup$
Kind of why the number 360 was chosen
$endgroup$
– Mad Dawg
Mar 16 at 12:07
add a comment |
2
$begingroup$
Ancient history rather than maths. The Babylonians liked base 60 so 360 was quite a neat number to them. Also, it is approximately the number of days in a year so the Earth moves about 1 degree around its orbit each day. A comment rather than an answer since I have not researched or verified these points.
$endgroup$
– badjohn
Mar 16 at 8:42
2
$begingroup$
It might be better to ask this in the History of Science and Math StackExchange.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Mar 16 at 9:21
2
$begingroup$
A quick google would have answered this question.
$endgroup$
– Martin Hansen
Mar 16 at 10:08
$begingroup$
Are you asking why the number 360 was chosen specifically, or how the concept of "angle" arose in the first place?
$endgroup$
– Jack M
Mar 16 at 12:04
$begingroup$
Kind of why the number 360 was chosen
$endgroup$
– Mad Dawg
Mar 16 at 12:07
2
2
$begingroup$
Ancient history rather than maths. The Babylonians liked base 60 so 360 was quite a neat number to them. Also, it is approximately the number of days in a year so the Earth moves about 1 degree around its orbit each day. A comment rather than an answer since I have not researched or verified these points.
$endgroup$
– badjohn
Mar 16 at 8:42
$begingroup$
Ancient history rather than maths. The Babylonians liked base 60 so 360 was quite a neat number to them. Also, it is approximately the number of days in a year so the Earth moves about 1 degree around its orbit each day. A comment rather than an answer since I have not researched or verified these points.
$endgroup$
– badjohn
Mar 16 at 8:42
2
2
$begingroup$
It might be better to ask this in the History of Science and Math StackExchange.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Mar 16 at 9:21
$begingroup$
It might be better to ask this in the History of Science and Math StackExchange.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Mar 16 at 9:21
2
2
$begingroup$
A quick google would have answered this question.
$endgroup$
– Martin Hansen
Mar 16 at 10:08
$begingroup$
A quick google would have answered this question.
$endgroup$
– Martin Hansen
Mar 16 at 10:08
$begingroup$
Are you asking why the number 360 was chosen specifically, or how the concept of "angle" arose in the first place?
$endgroup$
– Jack M
Mar 16 at 12:04
$begingroup$
Are you asking why the number 360 was chosen specifically, or how the concept of "angle" arose in the first place?
$endgroup$
– Jack M
Mar 16 at 12:04
$begingroup$
Kind of why the number 360 was chosen
$endgroup$
– Mad Dawg
Mar 16 at 12:07
$begingroup$
Kind of why the number 360 was chosen
$endgroup$
– Mad Dawg
Mar 16 at 12:07
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
From Wikipedia:
The original motivation for choosing the degree as a unit of rotations and angles is unknown. One theory states that it is related to the fact that 360 is approximately the number of days in a year. Ancient astronomers noticed that the sun, which follows through the ecliptic path over the course of the year, seems to advance in its path by approximately one degree each day. Some ancient calendars, such as the Persian calendar, used 360 days for a year. The use of a calendar with 360 days may be related to the use of sexagesimal numbers.
Another theory is that the Babylonians subdivided the circle using the angle of an equilateral triangle as the basic unit and further subdivided the latter into 60 parts following their sexagesimal numeric system. The earliest trigonometry, used by the Babylonian astronomers and their Greek successors, was based on chords of a circle. A chord of length equal to the radius made a natural base quantity. One sixtieth of this, using their standard sexagesimal divisions, was a degree.
Aristarchus of Samos and Hipparchus seem to have been among the first Greek scientists to exploit Babylonian astronomical knowledge and techniques systematically. Eratosthenes used a simpler sexagesimal system dividing a circle into 60 parts.
The division of the circle into 360 parts also occurred in ancient India, as evidenced in the Rigveda:
Twelve spokes, one wheel, navels three.
Who can comprehend this?
On it are placed together
three hundred and sixty like pegs.
They shake not in the least.
— Dirghatamas, Rigveda 1.164.48
Another motivation for choosing the number 360 may have been that it is readily divisible: 360 has 24 divisors, This property has many useful applications, such as dividing the world into 24 time zones, each of which is nominally 15° of longitude, to correlate with the established 24-hour day convention.
Finally, it may be the case that more than one of these factors has come into play. According to that theory, the number is approximately 365 because of the apparent movement of the sun against the celestial sphere and that it was rounded to 360 for some of the mathematical reasons cited above.
Sources (copy-pasted from):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_(angle)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decan
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
$endgroup$
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
From Wikipedia:
The original motivation for choosing the degree as a unit of rotations and angles is unknown. One theory states that it is related to the fact that 360 is approximately the number of days in a year. Ancient astronomers noticed that the sun, which follows through the ecliptic path over the course of the year, seems to advance in its path by approximately one degree each day. Some ancient calendars, such as the Persian calendar, used 360 days for a year. The use of a calendar with 360 days may be related to the use of sexagesimal numbers.
Another theory is that the Babylonians subdivided the circle using the angle of an equilateral triangle as the basic unit and further subdivided the latter into 60 parts following their sexagesimal numeric system. The earliest trigonometry, used by the Babylonian astronomers and their Greek successors, was based on chords of a circle. A chord of length equal to the radius made a natural base quantity. One sixtieth of this, using their standard sexagesimal divisions, was a degree.
Aristarchus of Samos and Hipparchus seem to have been among the first Greek scientists to exploit Babylonian astronomical knowledge and techniques systematically. Eratosthenes used a simpler sexagesimal system dividing a circle into 60 parts.
The division of the circle into 360 parts also occurred in ancient India, as evidenced in the Rigveda:
Twelve spokes, one wheel, navels three.
Who can comprehend this?
On it are placed together
three hundred and sixty like pegs.
They shake not in the least.
— Dirghatamas, Rigveda 1.164.48
Another motivation for choosing the number 360 may have been that it is readily divisible: 360 has 24 divisors, This property has many useful applications, such as dividing the world into 24 time zones, each of which is nominally 15° of longitude, to correlate with the established 24-hour day convention.
Finally, it may be the case that more than one of these factors has come into play. According to that theory, the number is approximately 365 because of the apparent movement of the sun against the celestial sphere and that it was rounded to 360 for some of the mathematical reasons cited above.
Sources (copy-pasted from):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_(angle)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decan
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
From Wikipedia:
The original motivation for choosing the degree as a unit of rotations and angles is unknown. One theory states that it is related to the fact that 360 is approximately the number of days in a year. Ancient astronomers noticed that the sun, which follows through the ecliptic path over the course of the year, seems to advance in its path by approximately one degree each day. Some ancient calendars, such as the Persian calendar, used 360 days for a year. The use of a calendar with 360 days may be related to the use of sexagesimal numbers.
Another theory is that the Babylonians subdivided the circle using the angle of an equilateral triangle as the basic unit and further subdivided the latter into 60 parts following their sexagesimal numeric system. The earliest trigonometry, used by the Babylonian astronomers and their Greek successors, was based on chords of a circle. A chord of length equal to the radius made a natural base quantity. One sixtieth of this, using their standard sexagesimal divisions, was a degree.
Aristarchus of Samos and Hipparchus seem to have been among the first Greek scientists to exploit Babylonian astronomical knowledge and techniques systematically. Eratosthenes used a simpler sexagesimal system dividing a circle into 60 parts.
The division of the circle into 360 parts also occurred in ancient India, as evidenced in the Rigveda:
Twelve spokes, one wheel, navels three.
Who can comprehend this?
On it are placed together
three hundred and sixty like pegs.
They shake not in the least.
— Dirghatamas, Rigveda 1.164.48
Another motivation for choosing the number 360 may have been that it is readily divisible: 360 has 24 divisors, This property has many useful applications, such as dividing the world into 24 time zones, each of which is nominally 15° of longitude, to correlate with the established 24-hour day convention.
Finally, it may be the case that more than one of these factors has come into play. According to that theory, the number is approximately 365 because of the apparent movement of the sun against the celestial sphere and that it was rounded to 360 for some of the mathematical reasons cited above.
Sources (copy-pasted from):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_(angle)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decan
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
From Wikipedia:
The original motivation for choosing the degree as a unit of rotations and angles is unknown. One theory states that it is related to the fact that 360 is approximately the number of days in a year. Ancient astronomers noticed that the sun, which follows through the ecliptic path over the course of the year, seems to advance in its path by approximately one degree each day. Some ancient calendars, such as the Persian calendar, used 360 days for a year. The use of a calendar with 360 days may be related to the use of sexagesimal numbers.
Another theory is that the Babylonians subdivided the circle using the angle of an equilateral triangle as the basic unit and further subdivided the latter into 60 parts following their sexagesimal numeric system. The earliest trigonometry, used by the Babylonian astronomers and their Greek successors, was based on chords of a circle. A chord of length equal to the radius made a natural base quantity. One sixtieth of this, using their standard sexagesimal divisions, was a degree.
Aristarchus of Samos and Hipparchus seem to have been among the first Greek scientists to exploit Babylonian astronomical knowledge and techniques systematically. Eratosthenes used a simpler sexagesimal system dividing a circle into 60 parts.
The division of the circle into 360 parts also occurred in ancient India, as evidenced in the Rigveda:
Twelve spokes, one wheel, navels three.
Who can comprehend this?
On it are placed together
three hundred and sixty like pegs.
They shake not in the least.
— Dirghatamas, Rigveda 1.164.48
Another motivation for choosing the number 360 may have been that it is readily divisible: 360 has 24 divisors, This property has many useful applications, such as dividing the world into 24 time zones, each of which is nominally 15° of longitude, to correlate with the established 24-hour day convention.
Finally, it may be the case that more than one of these factors has come into play. According to that theory, the number is approximately 365 because of the apparent movement of the sun against the celestial sphere and that it was rounded to 360 for some of the mathematical reasons cited above.
Sources (copy-pasted from):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_(angle)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decan
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
$endgroup$
From Wikipedia:
The original motivation for choosing the degree as a unit of rotations and angles is unknown. One theory states that it is related to the fact that 360 is approximately the number of days in a year. Ancient astronomers noticed that the sun, which follows through the ecliptic path over the course of the year, seems to advance in its path by approximately one degree each day. Some ancient calendars, such as the Persian calendar, used 360 days for a year. The use of a calendar with 360 days may be related to the use of sexagesimal numbers.
Another theory is that the Babylonians subdivided the circle using the angle of an equilateral triangle as the basic unit and further subdivided the latter into 60 parts following their sexagesimal numeric system. The earliest trigonometry, used by the Babylonian astronomers and their Greek successors, was based on chords of a circle. A chord of length equal to the radius made a natural base quantity. One sixtieth of this, using their standard sexagesimal divisions, was a degree.
Aristarchus of Samos and Hipparchus seem to have been among the first Greek scientists to exploit Babylonian astronomical knowledge and techniques systematically. Eratosthenes used a simpler sexagesimal system dividing a circle into 60 parts.
The division of the circle into 360 parts also occurred in ancient India, as evidenced in the Rigveda:
Twelve spokes, one wheel, navels three.
Who can comprehend this?
On it are placed together
three hundred and sixty like pegs.
They shake not in the least.
— Dirghatamas, Rigveda 1.164.48
Another motivation for choosing the number 360 may have been that it is readily divisible: 360 has 24 divisors, This property has many useful applications, such as dividing the world into 24 time zones, each of which is nominally 15° of longitude, to correlate with the established 24-hour day convention.
Finally, it may be the case that more than one of these factors has come into play. According to that theory, the number is approximately 365 because of the apparent movement of the sun against the celestial sphere and that it was rounded to 360 for some of the mathematical reasons cited above.
Sources (copy-pasted from):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_(angle)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decan
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
answered Mar 16 at 9:21
Kartik SonejiKartik Soneji
347
347
add a comment |
add a comment |
2
$begingroup$
Ancient history rather than maths. The Babylonians liked base 60 so 360 was quite a neat number to them. Also, it is approximately the number of days in a year so the Earth moves about 1 degree around its orbit each day. A comment rather than an answer since I have not researched or verified these points.
$endgroup$
– badjohn
Mar 16 at 8:42
2
$begingroup$
It might be better to ask this in the History of Science and Math StackExchange.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Mar 16 at 9:21
2
$begingroup$
A quick google would have answered this question.
$endgroup$
– Martin Hansen
Mar 16 at 10:08
$begingroup$
Are you asking why the number 360 was chosen specifically, or how the concept of "angle" arose in the first place?
$endgroup$
– Jack M
Mar 16 at 12:04
$begingroup$
Kind of why the number 360 was chosen
$endgroup$
– Mad Dawg
Mar 16 at 12:07