Japanese Mathematics at the Edo Period from the View of Global Civilization

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350380
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology/History of science and technology
• Research Institution: Osaka Kyoiku University
• Principal Investigator: JOCHI SHIGERU 大阪教育大学, 学内共同利用施設等, 教授 (00571283)
• Research Collaborator: LIU BOWEN 台湾, 国立高雄第一科技大学応用日語系, 准教授 ; CHANG HAO 台湾・義守大学, 通識教育中心, 准教授 ; CHANG YAOTSU 台湾・義守大学, 財務与計算数学系, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 数学史 / 科学技術史 / 和算 / 暦算 / 天文学史 / 社会階層 / 時代区分 / 南北中国文明

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The lattice multiplication was probably discovered in the Western Asia or Southern Asia, then it was introduced to the East and West. In Japan, two types lattice multiplication were arrived at the Edo period. Chen Wen introduced the lattice multiplication system and Napier’s bones from Western mathematical arts, and he used ‘Suzhou Numerals’. But Japanese mathematicians at the Edo period already studied the Lattice Multiplication system of ‘Xie Suan’ (or ‘Pudijin’) and Suzhou Numerals by Chinese mathematical arts at the Ming dynasty such as the Suanfa Tongzong (Cheng Dawei, 1592) before Western mathematics arrived into China. Japanese medical doctors had never studied Chinese mathematical arts at the Ming dynasty. Therefore, there were two types of mathematics in that time, that is to say, ‘Jikata’ Wasan (rich farmers’ mathematics) and ‘Komozan’ (Western Mathematics).

Free Research Field

科学技術史