An Elementary Study of the Unearthed Mathematics Book, Suanshu Shu

摘要

The transcription of the Suanshu Shu 算數書 (a bamboo book of mathematics) in simplified Chinese characters offers a new opportunity to explore the history of Chinese mathematics in ancient times.This paper analyzes the style and structure of the Suanshu Shu and makes comparisons with the Nine Chapters on Mathematical Procedures and a number of other texts in various social contexts.It will be shown that the Suanshu Shu was compiled from at least two sources,and that no direct textual interplay exists between the Suanshu Shu and the Nine Chapters,although both share the same origins in the Pre-Qin period when the major mathematical methods in the Nine Chapters came into being.It will also be shown that the Suanshu Shu was accomplished with the methods used in certain mathematical books in the Pre-Qin period or their results,which later led to the Nine Chapters,and by accommodating the actual conditions of the lower government administration.The Suanshu Shu is significant for establishing the evolution of algorithmic mathematics from the Warring States period to the Hart dynasty.