Sphaerics

Spherics

Spherics (sometimes spelled sphaerics or sphaerica) is a historical name for spherical geometry, exemplified by the Spherics (Ancient Greek: τὰ σφαιρικά tá sphairiká), a treatise by the Hellenistic mathematician Theodosius (2nd or early 1st century BC), and another treatise of the same title by Menelaus of Alexandria (c.100 AD).

As used by modern scholars, the term generally refers to a particular approach to solving geometric and astronomical problems by treating spherical geometry as a part of solid geometry (the geometry of three-dimensional space), and is distinguished from other approaches to solving spherical geometry problems by trigonometry, analemma (orthographic projection), or stereographic projection.



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