Applied mathematics in the tenth century: Abu'l-Wafā' calculates the distance Baghdad-Mecca (Q795809): Difference between revisions

In a medieval Arabic manuscript, MS Paris BN Ar. 5968, two methods are given for calculating the distance between two points on the earth's surface. The author gives a photocopy of the text, paraphrases it, adds two figures for explanation, reproduces a proof of the validity of the second method, and points out: 1. that the first method was commonly used for finding the direction of Muslim prayer; 2. that the second is probably of Indian provenance; and 3. that the computations use the scale of 60, and are precise to about 1:100,000. He adds a third solution by analemma.