• Journal for History of Mathematics
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.207-231
• /
• 2015

We discuss several issues relating to the meaning of the terms and phrases in the first half of Chapter One fang tian 方田章 of ${\ll}$Jiuzhang suanshu九章算術${\gg}$. I understood those issues more clearly in the course of the translation of ${\ll}$Kujang sulhae 九章術解${\gg}$. Those are '今有' in the beginning of each problem, '積' and '冪' in the method of square field 方田術, '齊' in the method of reduction to a common denominator 齊同術, '經' and '有分者通之重有分者同而通之' in the method of dividing fraction 經分術, '實如法而一' in the calculation using the rods, '兩邪' in the method of trapezium field with a perpendicular side 邪田術. We may find out the value of ${\ll}$Kujang sulhae 九章術解${\gg}$ through our discussion.