Thesaurus Mathematicus

work by Pitiscus

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July 16, 2026

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The Thesaurus Mathematicus was a significant work published in 1615 by Bartholomeo Pitiscus. Pitiscus coined the term "trigonometry" and his Thesaurus Mathematicus contained highly accurate tables of sines and cosines. These tables were calculated at 10' intervals and were accurate to 15 decimal places. This publication was a culmination of efforts in constructing trigonometric tables, which had been developed over centuries by astronomers and mathematicians across different cultures, including ancient Greece, India, and the Islamic world. These tables were essential tools for fields like astronomy, surveying, and navigation before the advent of computers.1

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trigonometry table
…the word trigonometry, and his Thesaurus Mathematicus (1615) contained tables of sines and cosines calculated at 10′ intervals that were accurate to 15 decimal places. Later, still more accurate tables were constructed with the help of logarithms, invented by John Napier in 1614.
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…the word trigonometry, and his Thesaurus Mathematicus (1615) contained tables of sines and cosines calculated at 10′ intervals that were accurate to 15 decimal places. Later, still more accurate tables were constructed with the help of logarithms, invented by John Napier in 1614.
Read More