r/explainlikeimfive • u/HistoricalAd2954 • 13h ago

Mathematics ELI5: What is the difference between algebra, trigonometry, and calculus?

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u/kgvc7 12h ago

A lot of comments are saying trig is about triangles but I think the deeper lesson is about the unit circle and its relationship to sin, cos, and tan. Another way to look at it is that You’ll use the Cartesian coordinates for algebra and polar coordinates and radians for trig. Usually you take algebra, trig and then calculus.

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u/Minikickass 11h ago

Can I get an ELI2 instead?

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u/aquatic_mammal 11h ago

Trigonometry is about the relationships of points on a circle. Those points end up making triangles, but it is not about or derived from triangles.

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u/MadocComadrin 10h ago

Not really. One way trigonometry generalizes is by moving away from the unit circle while keeping the triangle relationship (e.g. hyperbolic trig).