Astronomy and Mathematics in Ancient China: The 'Zhou Bi Suan Jing'

Needham Research Institute Studies

by Christopher Cullen

This is a study and translation of the Zhou bi suan jing, a Chinese work on astronomy and mathematics that reached its final form around the first century AD. The author provides the first easily accessible introduction to the developing mathematical and observational practices of ancient Chinese astronomers and shows how the generation and validation of knowledge about the heavens in Han dynasty China related closely to developments in statecraft and politics. This book will be fascinating reading for scholars in the history of science, Chinese history, and astronomy.

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 1996

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

If we take the wuyun liuqi seriously, this book is very important for us, especially in that Cullen shows us how there was a paradigm shift following the Han where the "time-based" universe became spatial...