A mathematical instrument is a tool or device used in the study or practice of

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

. In geometry, construction of various proofs was done using only a compass and

straightedge A straightedge or straight edge is a tool used for drawing straight lines, or checking their straightness. If it has equally spaced markings along its length, it is usually called a ruler. Straightedges are used in the automotive service and ma ...

; arguments in these proofs relied only on idealized properties of these instruments and literal construction was regarded as only an approximation. In applied mathematics, mathematical instruments were used for measuring angles and distances, in astronomy, navigation,

surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

and in the measurement of time.Gerard L'Estrange Turner ''Scientific Instruments, 1500-1900: An Introduction'' ( University of California Press, 1998) page 8

Overview

Instruments such as the

astrolabe An astrolabe ( grc, ἀστρολάβος ; ar, ٱلأَسْطُرلاب ; persian, ستاره‌یاب ) is an ancient astronomical instrument that was a handheld model of the universe. Its various functions also make it an elaborate inclin ...

, the quadrant, and others were used to measure and accurately record the relative positions and movements of planets and other celestial objects. The

sextant A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects. The primary use of a sextant is to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon for the purposes of celes ...

and other related instruments were essential for navigation at sea. Most instruments are used within the field of geometry, including the ruler, dividers, protractor, set square, compass, ellipsograph, T-square and

opisometer An opisometer, also called a curvimeter, meilograph, or map measurer, is an instrument for measuring the lengths of arbitrary curved lines. Description A simple opisometer consists of a toothed wheel of known circumference on a handle. The whe ...

. Others are used in

arithmetic Arithmetic () is an elementary part of mathematics that consists of the study of the properties of the traditional operations on numbers— addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, and extraction of roots. In the 19th ...

(for example the abacus, slide rule and

calculator An electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics. The first solid-state electronic calculator was created in the early 1960s. Pocket-sized ...

) or in algebra (the integraph). In astronomy, many have said the pyramids (along with Stonehenge) were actually instruments used for tracking the stars over long periods or for the annual planting seasons.

In schools

The Oxford Set of Mathematical Instruments is a set of instruments used by generations of school children in the United Kingdom and around the world in mathematics and geometry lessons. It includes two set squares, a 180° protractor, a 15 cm ruler, a metal compass, a 9 cm pencil, a pencil sharpener, an eraser and a 10mm stencil.

References

External reading

*J. L. Heilbron (ed.), ''The Oxford Companion To the History of Modern Science'' (Oxford University Press, 2003) , ''Instruments and Instrument Making'', pp. 408–411 Mathematical tools Articles containing video clips {{math-stub

Overview

In schools

See also

References

External reading