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calcul par le trait

English translation: graphic(al) calculation

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:calcul par le trait
English translation:graphic(al) calculation
Entered by: Tony M

06:40 May 8, 2013
French to English translations [PRO]
Mathematics & Statistics
French term or phrase: calcul par le trait
In a text on math history I have:

'...qui, vers la fin du 19ieme siècle, étaient déjà solidement constituées sous les noms de calcul par le trait et de nomographie.'

which I've translated as

'...which, towards the end of the 19th century, were already firmly established under the names of calcul par le trait and nomography.'

Does anyone have any thoughts on' calcul par le trait'?

Many thanks
Richard26
graphical calculation
Explanation:
I'm pretty convinced this is what it means, though I don't know if this is the only / best term used. Note that 'straight line calculation' is commonly found, but I'm not sure that is relevant to your specific context.

The following Wiki article may give you some useful background:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomogram
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 18:14
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
2 +5graphical calculation
Tony M
4geometric calculus
rkillings
3geometric calculation
pooja_chic


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +5
graphical calculation


Explanation:
I'm pretty convinced this is what it means, though I don't know if this is the only / best term used. Note that 'straight line calculation' is commonly found, but I'm not sure that is relevant to your specific context.

The following Wiki article may give you some useful background:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomogram

Tony M
France
Local time: 18:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 39
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  nweatherdon: I think I remember coming across something like this once, where something like "solved visually/graphically" was what they were getting at. Not 100% sure here though.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, NJ!
agree  chris collister: Doesn't work well in more than 3 dimensions, though....
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Chris! LOL :-) / I always used to get SO tangled up with my 4D slide rule ;-)
agree  DLyons: Works in 4-D as long as you have enough time :-)
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, D! Yes, 'tea' plotted along the T axis, isn't it?
agree  Daryo
10 hrs
  -> Merci, Daryo !
agree  gail desautels: but I would say "graphic calculation" not graphical http://publimath.irem.univ-mrs.fr/glossaire/CA059.htm
14 hrs
  -> Thanks, Gail! Yes, looking at it, that seems much more widespread; I wouldn't have thought of it, as to me that could suggest 'calculating the graphic'; but there you go!
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
geometric calculation


Explanation:
http://poncelet.math.nthu.edu.tw/disk5/js/history/graphical-...
Résumé
Dans la période qui précède l’apparition des ordinateurs, les besoins en calcul des scientifiques et des ingénieurs
ont conduit à un développement important des méthodes graphiques d’intégration. Pour contribuer à l’étude de
ce phénomène peu connu, l’article présente les techniques et les instruments utilisés pour l’intégration graphique
des équations différentielles ordinaires, et recherche leurs origines historiques en remontant aux débuts du calcul
infinitésimal : procédés de calcul par le trait reposant sur la méthode polygonale ou la méthode des rayons
de courbure, emploi du mouvement tractionnel pour la conception d’intégraphes, réduction à des quadratures
graphiques en nombre fini ou infini.
 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Abstract
In the period which precedes the appearance of computers, needs in calculation of the scientists and engineers
led to an important development of graphic methods of integration. To contribute to the study of this little
known phenomenon, the article presents techniques and instruments used for the graphic integration of ordinary
differential equations, and looks for their historic origins by going back to the beginning of calculus: processes of
geometric calculation by the polygonal method or the method of radius of curvature, use of tractional motion for
the conception of integraphs, reduction to graphic quadratures in finite or infinite number.
 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 hrs (2013-05-08 20:25:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.univ-irem.fr/commissions/reperes/consulter/50tour...
1 Les instruments
du calcul par le trait
La première composante du calcul graphique, la plus ancienne, est le « calcul par le
trait ». C’est le calcul géométrique proprement dit, dont les bases ont été clairement exposées par Descartes, au début de sa Géométrie
[Des1637]. Une unité de longueur ayant été
choisie, les données numériques sont repré-
sentées sur la feuille de dessin par des segments de droite. On réalise ensuite des
constructions géométriques, à l’aide d’instruments variés, qui aboutissent à de nouveaux
segments de droite représentant les valeurs
inconnues cherchées.

pooja_chic
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sorry for the delay - I was waiting for feedback from the author. We've settled for 'calcul par le trait' in the text. Many thanks


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Don't know if this is right or not, but your first ref. is so poorly translated, it shouldn't be relied upon. The second ref. with its monolingual explanation is more promising.
10 hrs
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2 days 19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
geometric calculus


Explanation:
Read a few lines further in the cited reference (univ-irem.fr) and you'll find this:
'Composante la plus ancienne du calcul graphique, le "calcul par le trait" est le calcul géométrique proprement dit.'

Known in English as geometric calculus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometric_calculus

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days9 hrs (2013-05-11 15:46:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I should say, this component is *now* considered to be part of geometric calculus: see http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geometric_Calculus_Fa...

But if this term is too grandiose for the rudimentary techniques at issue, go with "graphical analysis". That is the term used by engineering historian Karl-Eugen Kurren in The History of the Theory of Structures (2008), which you can peruse at Google Books:
books.google.com/books?isbn=3433601348
At p. 323 ff., Kurrer discusses the book published in 1839 by Barthélémy Édouard Cousinery, 'Le calcul par le trait'.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 days9 hrs (2013-05-11 15:53:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Alternately, it is now considered to be part of "computational geometry" -- a field which we have a different term for in English, but which still goes by the name of calcul géométrique in French.:-)
http://www-sop.inria.fr/prisme/fiches/Calculgeom/index.html....

rkillings
United States
Local time: 09:14
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
Notes to answerer
Asker: Sorry for the delay - I was waiting for feedback from the author. We've settled for 'calcul par le trait' in the text. Many thanks


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: From Asker's context, I'm not sure that applies; in association with nomograms, I feel sure we are talking about a graphical calculation method, rather than a type of calculus.
3 hrs
  -> It applies, but may be overkill. See above.
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