Great Compendium of the History of Mathematics in China. Volume 1: Ancient Times to Western Han Dynasty

Author: Wu Wenjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-09-01
Features: In 1984, four experts in the history of Chinese mathematics proposed to compile a comprehensive and monumental work on 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: Bai Shangshu of Beijing Normal University; Shen Kangshen of Hangzhou University; Li Di of Inner Mongolia Normal University; and 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 promoted "superstitious practices that falsely claim numbers have mystical properties." As a result, traditional Chinese mathematics faced near extinction and was later overshadowed and even 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 to the world, ensuring that the ancient Chinese calculations continued to survive.