"A variação dos triângulos esféricos" de Manuel Araújo Guimarães

primeiro impresso de Matemática, no Brasil, após a liberação da imprensa em 1810

Abstract

The "Impressão Régia", founded in May 1808, was the only brazilian publishing house till 1821. With the creation of the course on Mathematics at the Royal Militar Academy ( Real Academia Militar do Rio de Janeiro) in Rio de Janeiro, in 1810, and the liberation of the press in Brazil, it became possible for brazilians to publish articles and textbooks; this was indeed a requeriment clearly stated among the regulations of the afore mentioned academy. Some contributions appeared exactly in that period, which had the main purpose to be used for the teaching. Guimarães was one the most active contributors at that time. The first paper on the mathematics by Guimarães was published in 1812, a/ter the setting up the press in Brazil. The article regards - spherical trigonometry. The author introduces thereby the idea of differential for spherical-triangles, and he shows how to apply differential formulae to problems in Astronomy.