Delambre's Analogies
Theorem
Let $\triangle ABC$ be a spherical triangle on the surface of a sphere whose center is $O$.
Let the sides $a, b, c$ of $\triangle ABC$ be measured by the angles subtended at $O$, where $a, b, c$ are opposite $A, B, C$ respectively.
Sine by Sine
- $\sin \dfrac c 2 \sin \dfrac {A - B} 2 = \cos \dfrac C 2 \sin \dfrac {a - b} 2$
Sine by Cosine
- $\sin \dfrac c 2 \cos \dfrac {A - B} 2 = \sin \dfrac C 2 \sin \dfrac {a + b} 2$
Cosine by Sine
- $\cos \dfrac c 2 \sin \dfrac {A + B} 2 = \cos \dfrac C 2 \cos \dfrac {a - b} 2$
Cosine by Cosine
- $\cos \dfrac c 2 \cos \dfrac {A + B} 2 = \sin \dfrac C 2 \cos \dfrac {a + b} 2$
Also known as
Delambre's Analogies are also known as Gauss's Formulas or Gauss's Formulae.
However, there are so many results and theorems named for Carl Friedrich Gauss that $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$ prefers to settle for Delambre.
The names of the individual formulas are not standard, but $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$ needs some way to distinguish between them. Any advice on this matter is welcome.
Also see
Source of Name
This entry was named for Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre.
Historical Note
Delambre's Analogies, or Gauss's Formulas, were discovered by Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre in $1807$ and published in $1809$.
Carl Friedrich Gauss subsequently discovered them independently of Delambre.
Sources
- 1976: W.M. Smart: Textbook on Spherical Astronomy (6th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text I$. Spherical Trigonometry: $16$. Delambre's and Napier's analogies.
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Delambre's analogies
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Gauss's formulae (Delambre's analogies)
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Delambre's analogies
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Gauss's formulae (Delambre's analogies)