Integrating Eastern and Western Learning - A Biography of Li Shanlan

Author: Yang Ziqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Li Shanlan, styled Renshu, styled Qiunun, was a native of Haining, Zhejiang. From a young age, he loved mathematics. "At the age of ten, while studying at home, he found an ancient book of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art in the library and secretly read it, believing he could master it without formal study. From then on, he developed a passion for mathematics." "After the age of thirty, his achievements became deeper." In 1852, he went to Shanghai to participate in the translation of Western mathematical, astronomical, and other scientific works. Over eight years, he translated over 80 volumes. After 1860, he served as a counselor under Xu Youren and Zeng Guofan. In 1868, he became the head instructor of the Astronomical and Mathematical Department at the Tongwen College in Beijing until his death. Li Shanlan's mathematical research achievements are concentrated in his own edited and published "Zeguxizhai Suixue," which includes 13 of his mathematical works. Among them, "Fangyuan Chuanyou," "Hushi Qimi," and "Duoshu Shenyuan" are three works on the research of power series expansions. Li Shanlan created a "sharp cone method," which uses the area of a sharp cone to represent \(X^n\), and solves various mathematical problems by summing up the areas of multiple sharp cones. Although he had not yet encountered calculus when creating the "sharp cone method," he had actually derived formulas related to definite integrals. Li Shanlan also applied the "sharp cone method" to the power series expansion of logarithmic functions. The land of Zhejiang, though not particularly vast but deeply rooted, has nurtured numerous cultural figures: Wang Xizhi, Xie Lingyun, Luo Binwang, Meng Jiao, Han Shan, Zhao Mengfu, Huang Gongwang, Wang Meng, Mao Dun, Xia Yan, Yu Dafu, Zhu Kezhen, Tong Dizhou. They devoted their talents to the inheritance and innovation of culture, achieving great results. The "Biographies of Zhejiang Cultural Figures" series is a cultural project launched by the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences in response to the call of the provincial party committee and government, introducing the biographies of 100 ancient and modern Zhejiang-born cultural figures. This book is one of the series, introducing the culturally and academically profound—Li Shanlan.