Zhu Shijie

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SIYUAN YUJIAN PDF-036-036

Zhu Shijie (

Yuan Dynasty.[1] Zhu was born close to today's Beijing. Two of his mathematical works have survived: Introduction to Computational Studies (算學啓蒙 Suan hsüeh Ch'i-mong) and Jade Mirror of the Four Unknowns
.

Suanxue qimeng

Suanxue qimeng

The Suan hsüeh Ch'i-mong (算學啓蒙), written in 1299, is an elementary textbook on mathematics in three volumes, 20 chapters and 259 problems. This book also showed how to measure two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional solids. The Introduction strongly influenced the development of mathematics in Japan. The book was once lost in China, until the Qing dynasty mathematician Luo Shilin bought a Korean printed edition and republished it in Yangzhou.

Jade Mirror of the Four Unknowns

Illustrations in Jade Mirror of the Four Unknowns

Zhu's second book,

Pascal's triangle, which he refers to as discovered by Jia Xian
before 1050. The final equation and one of its solutions is given for each of the 288 problems.

Zhu also found square and cube roots by solving quadratic and cubic equations, and added to the understanding of series and progressions, classifying them according to the coefficients of the Pascal triangle. He also showed how to solve systems of linear equations by reducing the matrix of their coefficients to diagonal form. He moreover applied these methods to algebraic equations, using a version of the resultant.[2] His methods pre-date Blaise Pascal, William Horner, and modern matrix methods by many centuries. The preface of the book describes how Zhu traveled China for 20 years teaching mathematics.

The methods of Jade Mirror of the Four Unknowns form the foundation for Wu's method of characteristic set.

References

  1. ^ "Zhu Shijie - Biography". Maths History. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
  2. ^ Mumford 2010, p. 122.

External links