Xiahou Yang Suanjing ( Chinese: 夏侯陽算經; Xiahou Yang's Mathematical Manual) is a mathematical treatise attributed to the fifth century CE Chinese mathematician Xiahou Yang. However, some historians are of the opinion that Xiahou Yang Suanjing was not written by Xiahou Yang. [1] It is one of the books in The Ten Computational Canons, a collection of mathematical texts assembled by Li Chunfeng and used as the official mathematical for the imperial examinations.
Though little is known about the period of the author, there is some evidence which more or less conclusively establishes the date of the work. These suggest 468 CE as the latest possible date for the work to be written and 425 CE as the earliest date. [1]
The treatise is divided into three parts and these are spoken of as the higher, the middle and the lower sections. [2] The first chapter contains 19 problems, the second chapter contains 29 problems and the last chapter contains 44 problems. As in all the older Chinese books, no technical rules are given, and the problems are simply followed by the answers, occasionally with brief explanations. [2]
In the first section the five operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square and cube roots are given. The work on division is subdivided into (1) "ordinary division"; (2) "division by ten, hundred, and so on," especially intended for work in mensuration; (3) "division by simplification" (yo ch'ut). The last problem in the section is as follows:
Fractions are also mentioned, special names being given to the four most common ones, as follows:
In the second section there are twenty-eight applied problems relating to taxes, commissions, and such questions as concern the division by army officers of loot and food (silk, rice, wine, soy sauce, vinegar, and the like) among their soldiers. [2]
The third section contains forty-two problems. The translations of some of these problems are given below. [2]
Xiahou Yang Suanjing ( Chinese: 夏侯陽算經; Xiahou Yang's Mathematical Manual) is a mathematical treatise attributed to the fifth century CE Chinese mathematician Xiahou Yang. However, some historians are of the opinion that Xiahou Yang Suanjing was not written by Xiahou Yang. [1] It is one of the books in The Ten Computational Canons, a collection of mathematical texts assembled by Li Chunfeng and used as the official mathematical for the imperial examinations.
Though little is known about the period of the author, there is some evidence which more or less conclusively establishes the date of the work. These suggest 468 CE as the latest possible date for the work to be written and 425 CE as the earliest date. [1]
The treatise is divided into three parts and these are spoken of as the higher, the middle and the lower sections. [2] The first chapter contains 19 problems, the second chapter contains 29 problems and the last chapter contains 44 problems. As in all the older Chinese books, no technical rules are given, and the problems are simply followed by the answers, occasionally with brief explanations. [2]
In the first section the five operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square and cube roots are given. The work on division is subdivided into (1) "ordinary division"; (2) "division by ten, hundred, and so on," especially intended for work in mensuration; (3) "division by simplification" (yo ch'ut). The last problem in the section is as follows:
Fractions are also mentioned, special names being given to the four most common ones, as follows:
In the second section there are twenty-eight applied problems relating to taxes, commissions, and such questions as concern the division by army officers of loot and food (silk, rice, wine, soy sauce, vinegar, and the like) among their soldiers. [2]
The third section contains forty-two problems. The translations of some of these problems are given below. [2]