Surveying the Coast: Theory and Practice as Reflected in Mathematical Sources and Maps

Bréard A (2012)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Original article

Publication year: 2012

Series: 論文集 (Collection of Papers, Addenda)

Event location: Institute of Taiwan History at Academia Sinica, National Palace Museum and National Tsing-Hua University

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4622.6007

Abstract

Traditionally, the knowledge of mathematics should have been exclusive to the privileged class which gained the knowledge primarily through family connections or literati circles. A short third century canonical text, the Sea Island Mathematical Classic provides such theoretical knowledge privileged by the upper class written in the form of mathematical solution procedures to surveying problems. In this paper I survey the long-term history of such apparently 'practical' problems and question the social differentiation in the knowledge and practice of mathematics between maps and the mathematical kinds of writings.

Authors with CRIS profile

Andrea Bréard Chair for Sinology with a focus on the Intellectual and Cultural History of China (Alexander von Humboldt-Professor)

How to cite

APA:

Bréard, A. (2012). Surveying the Coast: Theory and Practice as Reflected in Mathematical Sources and Maps. In Proceedings of the 海洋、空間意識與文化交會: 第二屆輿圖學國際學術研討會 (Oceans, Consciousness of Space and Cultural Interflow: The Second International Symposium of Cartography). Institute of Taiwan History at Academia Sinica, National Palace Museum and National Tsing-Hua University.

MLA:

Bréard, Andrea. "Surveying the Coast: Theory and Practice as Reflected in Mathematical Sources and Maps." Proceedings of the 海洋、空間意識與文化交會: 第二屆輿圖學國際學術研討會 (Oceans, Consciousness of Space and Cultural Interflow: The Second International Symposium of Cartography), Institute of Taiwan History at Academia Sinica, National Palace Museum and National Tsing-Hua University 2012.

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