Astronomy and Mathematics in Ancient China: The 'Zhou Bi Suan Jing'

(Needham Research Institute Studies)
Christopher Cullen

Cambridge University Press | 1996 | 255 páginas |  PDF | 6,49 MB

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This is a study and translation of the Zhou bi suan jing, a Chinese work on astronomy and mathematics that reached its final form around the first century AD. The author provides the first easily accessible introduction to the developing mathematical and observational practices of ancient Chinese astronomers and shows how the generation and validation of knowledge about the heavens in Han dynasty China related closely to developments in statecraft and politics. This book will be fascinating reading for scholars in the history of science, Chinese history, and astronomy.• First study of ancient Chinese mathematical astronomy accessible to the non-specialist • Fully annotated and lucid translation of an important Chinese astronomical text • Shows the close interplay between politics and scientific activity in ancient ChinaContentsPreface; 1. The background of the Zhou bi; 2. The Zhou bi and its contents; 3. The origins of the work; 4. The later history of the Zhou bi; Zhou bi suan jing: translation; Appendices; References and bibliography; Index.Reviews‘… Cullen provides a lucid and highly readable survey of the development of Chinese cosmography … All this and more is set forth in a jargon-free style accessible to the general reader while at the same time satisfying the demands of the specialist for comprehensive and informative references and Chinese characters.’ The Journal of Asian Studies‘The pathway for the reader is more than just academically interesting … he will find himself led through fascinating territory.’ Irish Astronomical Journal‘Christopher Cullen’s book will help immensely in enlarging our view of cultural production during the Han … [it] is a challenging and thoughtful inquiry for any reader of ancient Chinese texts.’ Andrea Eberhard, Centaurus‘… the first easily accessible introduction to the developing mathematical and observational practices of ancient Chinese astronomers … of equal interest to historians of science and those studying the history of Chinese culture.’ Europe & Astronomy