Revision as of 18:07, 19 March 2006

Projection name: sinusoidal

• Projection naming principle: Principle of Preponderance of Precedence.
• Year of origin: 1570.
• Name of originator: Jehan Cossin (Dieppe).
• Originator reference:
• Year of formulation:
• Name of formulator:
• Formula citation:
• Projection synonyms: Mercator equal-area, Mercator-Sanson, Sanson-Flamsteed, Sanson, シヌソイダル図法, 正弦曲線図法.
• Projection properties: Authalic; scale along parallels is correct (in equatorial aspect).
• Projection derivatives:
• Naïve specializations:
• Generalizations:

Rationale

Several reasons support the name sinusoidal:

• Alternatives attribute Sanson and/or Flamsteed, yet neither developed the projection.
• The originator is not known with certainty.
• The name is descriptive.
• The projection is so obvious as to render attribution meaningless.
• Modern texts surveyed preferred sinusoidal by a 1.25¹: 1² margin. As the 20th century progressed we see a strong shift toward sinusoidal. (Steers and Mainwaring did not commit to one name.)

Chronology of projection development

• 1570: Cossin produces a world map based on the projection with verifiably sinusoidal meridians.
• 1606: Jodocus Hondius (Amsterdam) uses the projection for maps of Africa and South America, presumably leading to the name Mercator equal-area.
• 1650 (ca.): Nicolas Sanson d'Abbeville uses the projection extensively for maps of all continents.
• 1675 (ca.): John Flamsteed (England) uses the projection extensively in astronomical maps and praises its accuracy in correspondence with Isaac Newton.

Notes

¹ A.H. Jameson & M.T.M. Ormsby, 1927; J.A. Steers, 1927; J. Mainwaring, 1942; G.P. Kellaway, 1946; National Geographic Society, 1947; C.E. Abelson, 1954; D.H. Maling, 1973; P.W. McDonnell, 1979; F. Pearson II, 1984; J.P. Snyder, 1989.

² M. d'Avezac, 1863; A.R. Hinks, 1912; M. Adams, 1914; C.H. Deetz & O.S. Adams, 1921; J.A. Steers, 1927; R.K. Melluish, 1931; J. Mainwaring, 1942; P. Richardus & R.K. Adler, 1972.