Subject: Re: [HM] Radian Measure
From: James T. Smith (smith@math.sfsu.edu)
Date: Wed Feb 09 2000 - 17:18:40 EST
The word "radian", which stands for RADIal ANgle, seems to have originated
around 1870 in the writings of Thomas Muir and James Thomson Sr. See
Muir, Thomas, and James Thomson [Jr.], Letters to the editor, Nature 83:156,
217, 459-460. Muir and Thomson Sr. were professors at St. Andrews and
Glasgow.
James T, Smith
Professor of Mathematics
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
415-338-1368 (office, voice mail)
415-338-1461 (fax)
smith@math.sfsu.edu
http://math.sfsu.edu/smith
>
> In the book by Cajori on notation and symbols there is a very short
> reference to when radians showed up. Could someone help with a better
> reference or with a brief but more extended history.
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Robert Mena, from Long Beach
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