Chinese interest in right-angled triangles
The present paper is a brief survey over early Chinese developments in the field of the Pythagorean theorem and the use of right-angled triangles for astronomical and surveying purposes; it also gives an exposition of various views concerning possible relations with similar developments in the Old Babylonian, Greek and Indian cultures. The author cites and discusses relevant passages taken from the following sources: 1. The Zhou Bei Suan-jing (5th to 3rd cent. B. C. ), 2. The Jiu Zhang Suan-jing (3rd cent. B. C.), 3. The Haidao Suan-jing (Liu Hui, 3rd cent. A. D.) and 4. The Zhang Qiu-jian Suan-jian (Zhang Qiu-jian, 5th cent. A. D.). No mention is made of such discussions on the subject as can be found in \textit{U. Libbrecht} [Chinese mathematics in the thirteenth century. The Shu-shu chiu-chang of Ch'in Chiu-shao (1973; Zbl 0291.01003)]; \textit{F. J. Swetz}, \textit{T. I. Kao} [Was Pythagoras Chinese? (University Park and London, 1977)]; and \textit{B. S. Gillon} [Introduction, translation, and discussion of Chao Chün-ching's ``Notes to the diagrams of short legs and long legs and of squares and circles'', Hist. Math. 4, 253--293 (1977; Zbl 0365.01003)].
use of right-angled triangles for astronomical and surveying
scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3599988