Chinese interest in right-angled triangles
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: Chinese interest in right-angled triangles
zbMATH Open document ID: 0386.01004
DOI: 10.1016/0315-0860(78)90111-8
published in: Historia Mathematica
publication date: 1978-01-01T00:00:00Z
review text: 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)].
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A25
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A20
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A17
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A30
zbMATH DE Number: 3599988
zbMATH Keywords: early Chinese developments
zbMATH Keywords: Pythagorean theorem
zbMATH Keywords: use of right-angled triangles for astronomical and surveying
zbMATH Keywords: Old Babylonian
zbMATH Keywords: Greek
zbMATH Keywords: Indian
author: Tian Se Ang
reviewed by: Wolfgang A. F. Ruppert
MaRDI profile type: Publication
full work available at URL: 0315-0860(78)90111-8
OpenAlex ID: W2081522709
cites work: Q3226718
cites work: Q3280103
cites work: Q5815583
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3599988