mathematical instrument
A mathematical instrument is a tool or device used in the study or practice of mathematics. In geometry, construction of various proofs was done using only a compass and straightedge; arguments in these proofs relied only on idealized properties of these instruments and literal construction was regarded as only an approximation. In applied mathematics, mathematical instruments were used for measuring angles and distances, in astronomy, navigation, surveying and in the measurement of time. • Illustration — Animation of construction of a pentagon using a compass and straightedge
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mathematical instrument
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compass
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Integraph
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mechanical calculator
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protractor
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scientific instrument
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straightedge
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wikidata · Q1666865 · wikipedia · Mathematical instrument
In this article
Overview
Overview
• Illustration — The astrolabe was an early mathematical instrument used in astronomy and navigation. Instruments such as the astrolabe, the quadrant, and others were used to measure and accurately record the relative positions and movements of planets and other celestial objects. The sextant and other related instruments were essential for navigation at sea. Most instruments are used within the field of geometry, including the ruler, dividers, protractor, set square, compass, ellipsograph, T-square and opisometer. Others are used in arithmetic (for example the abacus, slide rule and calculator) or in algebra (the integraph). In astronomy, many have said the pyramids (along with Stonehenge) were actually instruments used for tracking the stars over long periods or for the annual planting seasons.
In schools
In schools
The Oxford Set of Mathematical Instruments is a set of instruments used by generations of school children in the United Kingdom and around the world in mathematics and geometry lessons. It includes two set squares, a 180° protractor, a 15 cm ruler, a metal compass, a metal divider, a 9 cm pencil, a pencil sharpener, an eraser and a 10mm stencil.
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reference work
- “Mathematical instrument”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1666865: mathematical instrument
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Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Mathematical instrument, revision 1355386250 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Gerard L'Estrange Turner Scientific Instruments, 1500-1900: An Introduction ( University of California Press, 1998) page 8
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- J. Bennett Early "Modern Mathematical Instruments" Isis Review, 2011 https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/663607
- F. Madison "Early Astronomical and Mathematical Instruments" History of Science, 1963 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/007327536300200102
- J. L. Heilbron (ed.), The Oxford Companion To the History of Modern Science (Oxford University Press, 2003) , Instruments and Instrument Making, pp. 408–411
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3- compassTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
- IntegraphTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
- protractorTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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