Convergence articles

Displaying 571 - 580 of 726

Filter by subject

A delightful survey of the history of trigonometry, along with discussions of its uses, both ancient and modern.

This is the title page of the 1779 edition of the works of Isaac Newton known at that time. Note that this is a much shorter book than the recent eight volume collection of Newton's mathematical papers, edited by Derek Whiteside.

Cogwheels of the Mind: The Story of Venn Diagrams

An introduction to the work of Venn as well as the work of the author in extending some of Venn's results.

What is 0^0?

The expression 0^0 is usually called an indeterminate form. This article details the history of the meaning of this expression and concludes that, in some cases, we should evaluate it as 1.

Benjamin Franklin's Numbers: An Unsung Mathematical Odyssey

A thorough study of Benjamin Franklin's mathematical accomplishments, in particular his work on magic squares.

Pyramid Calculation

Given a pyramid 300 cubits high, with a square base 500 cubits to a side, determine the distance from the center of any side of the base to the apex.

Animal Customs

A fox, a wild-cat, and a hound pass through customs and together pay 111 coins.

To Each His Due

A man has four creditors. To the first he owes 624 ducats; to the second, 546; to the third, 492; and to the fourth 368.

Area of a Polygon

Prove that the area of a regular polygon can be given by the product of its perimeter and half the radius of the inscribed circle.

A Modern Vision of the Work of Cardano and Ferrari on Quartics

A study of the solution of quartic equations in Cardano's Ars Magna and in the work of Euler and Descartes.