A Trigonometry Book About Voyaging
This textbook is not only a trigonometry book; it is also a book about voyaging. The goal is for students to see trigonometry not as a collection of abstract formulas, but as a way of explaining the world around us.
The chapters show how peoples across the Pacific have navigated the ocean for generations using the very mathematical principles students encounter in trigonometry: angles, distances, circular motion, triangles, vectors, periodic behavior, and relationships between quantities.
Although rooted in Hawaiʻi, the text includes examples from across the Pacific so students from diverse backgrounds can see themselves and their cultures represented in mathematics. The book weaves together mathematical ideas and cultural contexts to make trigonometry more relevant, meaningful, and exciting.
Each chapter introduces core mathematical concepts and pairs them with culturally grounded examples, worked examples, practice problems, and explorations. The book is freely available as both a web version and downloadable PDF so cost is never a barrier to learning.