Trigonometry

Consider the diagram

What trigonometric functions and identities can you find in relation to ?

 http://www.gogeometry.com/education/trig onometry_mind_map.html

http://www.geogebratube.org/book/title/id/8 9516#

History of Trigonometry

Ancient
Sumerian: division of circle into 360 degrees Babylonian studies of similar triangles No systematic method for finding missing sides etc.

Classical
Euclid and Archimedes and the properties of chords Hipparchus, astronomy and the first trig table (Almagest: Book on Astronomy and Mathematics)

Non western traditions

Aryabhata; Indian treatments of Sine (6th century AD) Independent development of trigonometry in China

Islamic Period
By the 10th Century the Greek and Indian texts had been translated Islamic Mathematicians using all six trig functions and trig tables Application to spherical geometry

History of Trigonometry

Europe after the Renaissance

1464 Regiomontanus (German Mathematician) publishes De Triangulis omnimodus 1543 Copernicus publishes De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (Two chapters on the geometry of Chords with tables)

Enlightenment Astronomy
Kepler, the development of Physics and the integration of Astronomy and Physics The calculus develops in this period as well 1715 Taylor series: James Gregory and Brook Taylor

Enlightenment and Beyond

1748 Euler: Discovery of the relationship between complex numbers and trigonometry 1807: Fourier Series developed by JeanBaptiste Joseph Fourier 1869 Cantor: Addresses the uniqueness of the representation of a function by trigonometric series

Modernity
Ongoing research Rapid expansion of technical use in science and industry Educational issues

Contemporary Educational and Social Context

In school maths: algebraic substitution in order to achieve computational advantage mainly in context of analogue computation (slide rules) and calculus (simplification of objects for symbolic manipulation) In maths, science, computer science, etc.
http://www.gogeometry.com/education/trigonometr y_mind_map.html

Problem Solving with Trigonometry

You are a surveyor on a hill opposite a walled city on a hill on the other side of a shallow valley. You need to measure the height of the city wall in order to inform construction of an aqueduct. You are on a hundred metre stretch of road going east west and can see the city wall when looking directly along the road. You have a clinometer.
Come up with a strategy to measure the walls height. Do you have enough information? What additional information might you need? Why?

Challenges in Teaching and Learning Trigonometry

Discussion of challenges in teaching and learning trig Prior concepts include a constellation of topics across geometry, arithmetic, and algebra Students draw on concepts of ratio given as a number, manipulation of multiplicative relationships, and the ability to identify right triangles in atypical situations This is often the first time students see functions that are not polynomials in x and which are represented using a name. Confusion around notation may be an issue [ f(x) v sin(x) ]

Challenges in Teaching and Learning Trigonometry

New Concepts and processes Functions: Although students may have seen polynomials of x, trig is often the first time they have to attend to properties of functions that not amenable to simple algebraic manipulation Inverse functions
The relationship between function and inverse and the use of the inverse in symbolic manipulation Confusion around inverses and Arc-relationship (reciprocal relationships)?

Challenges in Teaching and Learning Trigonometry

Radians: Geometric principles and implications and their use in trigonometry
Definition; Relationship to measurement in degrees; Reasons origin Also Tau and the circle constant: The argument for Tau to be defined as C/r and the illustrative capacity of considering use of Tau compared to use of Pi.
http://tauday.com/tau-manifesto

Challenges in Teaching and Learning Trigonometry

Non-routine right triangles Presentation in different orientations Ambiguous situations Use of right triangles in problem solving (routine versus non-routine siututaions Ratios as multipliers The concept and processes of ratio and proportionality and the application to trigonometric situations

Opportunities and teaching approaches

The opportunity for relational context in which to address prior misconceptions and challenges
Ratio concept: right triangles and sine/cos/tan as mulitpliers Angle as measure of turn by going beyond 90 degrees

Opportunities and teaching approaches

Teaching approaches
Integration of similarity, unit circle and exploratory approaches as way to address challenges and build on opportunities Example from personal experience echoes research on how Trig is often taught:
Similarity in right triangles Introduction and definition of SIN/COS/TAN at side lengths ratios Develop of a trig table (fun!) [this is not as common in the research on practice; usefule for developing the notion of function and inverse function] Application in geometry problems Application in contextualised problem solving Introduction of unit circle radians and graphs of trig function at a later date

Opportunities and teaching approaches

New opportunities for development of teaching
How does trig understanding develop over time? What are anticipated learning trajectories and what are the implications for how to introduce trig and how to develop it over time? How can digital technologies be used to enhance student understanding of relationship between trig and periodicity? Motion capture and pendulum problems?

How can trigonometric understanding be developed relationally beyond the secondary curriculum into issues of fourier transformation, physics, engineering (and statisitics)?

The use of images in Trigonometric Problem Solving

Other research
Pritchard etc.

Standards at A level
2.5 Unit C2 - Core mathematics 4. Trigonometry.
The sine and cosine rules, the area of a triangle in the form 1/2 abSinC. Radian measure, including use for arc length and area of sector. Sine Cosine and tangent functions. Their graphs, symmetries and periodicity. Knowledge and use of tan =sin/cos, and sin2 +cos2=1. Solution of simple trigonometric equations in a given interval.

Standards at A level
2.8 Unit C3 Core mathematics.
2. Trigonometry.
Knowledge of secant, cosecant and cotangent and of arcsin, arcos and arctan. Their relationships to sine, cosine and tangent. Understanding of their graphs and appropriate restricted domains. Knowledge and use of sec2=1+tan2 and cosec2=1+cot2. Knowledge and use of the double angle formulae; use of formulae for sin (A B), cos(AB) and tan(AB) and of expressions for acos+bsin in the equivalent forms of rcos() or rsin().

Promoting a Flexible Schema of Trigonometric Concepts and Processes

Overall research findings indicate that: The qualitative distinction between individuals trigonometric schemas depends largely on the focus of the individuals attention when learning. Students who complemented algebraic processes with spatial representations had a qualitative advantage over those who concentrated their attention upon one aspect to the detriment of the other. The benefit of a schema that had recourse to both spatial and algebraic representations was that: firstly it was more flexible and; secondly it could be strengthened on two levels providing greater scope for understanding.
Challenger, M., 2009. From triangles to a concept: a phenomenographic study of A-level students development of the concept of trigonometry. University of Warwick. Available at: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/1935

Consider the Diagrams from a trigonometric perspective

What relationships do they represent? Can you express this algebraically?

Consider the Diagrams from a trigonometric perspective

What relationships do they represent? Can you express this algebraically?

Consider the Diagrams from a trigonometric perspective

What relationships do they represent? Can you express this algebraically?

Consider the Diagrams from a trigonometric perspective

What relationships do they represent? Can you express this algebraically?

Consider the Diagrams from a trigonometric perspective

What relationships do they represent? Can you express this algebraically?

Consider the Diagrams from a trigonometric perspective

What relationships do they represent? Can you express this algebraically?

References and other resources

Nelsen, R.B., 1993. Proofs Without Words: Exercises in Visual Thinking , MAA. Challenger, M., 2009. From triangles to a concept: a phenomenographic study of A-level students development of the concept of trigonometry . University of Warwick. Available at: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/1935