In an ongoing work-in-progress by tech author Charles Petzold, he delves into the fascinating world of logarithms – their significance, history, and widespread influence. Despite being unfinished with rough sections and lacking professional editing, this online book explores various aspects through chapters organized in parts like Trigonometry service or Mathematicians at Work.
Petzold discusses topics such as understanding what logarithms are (not related to algorithms), their historical applications in trigonometry, the magic behind them being demystified, and how they connect with trigonometric concepts beyond simple right triangles. He also touches upon sinusoidal patterns’ importance, mapping Earth geographically, reaching for celestial bodies like stars, calculating phenomena such as Manhattanhenge, notable mathematicians like Napier and Briggs who contributed to logarithms evolution (including e), their practical use in everyday life through devices at our fingertips or Roget’s Log-Log scale.
Furthermore, Petzold expands on diverse applications of logarithmic principles across various fields: natural phenomena like time and space; physical sciences such as sound and music production; etcetera… The book concludes with back matter containing author information but remains unfinished at the given stage (2025).
Complete Article after the Jump: Here!