Great Compendium of the History of Chinese Mathematics 8 (Mid-Qing Dynasty to the End of the Qing Dynasty)

Author: Li Zhaohua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-04-01
Features: In 1984, four experts and professors in the history of Chinese mathematics proposed to compile a monumental work that comprehensively discusses the historical development of traditional Chinese mathematics, titled The Great Series of the History of Chinese Mathematics. These four professors (in order of age) are: Professor Bai Shangshu of Beijing Normal University; Professor Shen Kangshen of Hangzhou University; Professor Li Di of Inner Mongolia Normal University; and Professor Li Jimin of Northwest University. Traditional Chinese mathematics has a long and profound history, with its own unique philosophical system and developmental path. From ancient times to the Song and Yuan dynasties, it was a dominant force in the global development of mathematics for a long period. However, since the Ming Dynasty, due to various political, social, and other reasons—particularly as pointed out by Xu Guangqi at the end of the Ming Dynasty—one side saw "scholars who focus on theory neglect the practical realities of the world," while the other side witnessed "superstitious practices that falsely claim numbers have divine principles." As a result, traditional Chinese mathematics was on the verge of extinction and was later completely overshadowed and monopolized by the Western Euclidean tradition. Although there was a brief period of emphasis during the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns, it was limited to the excavation and interpretation of ancient texts. By the mid-20th century, Li Yan and Qian Baocong wrote specialized works on the history of Chinese mathematics to introduce it, ensuring that the ancient Chinese calculations continued to survive.