• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.13-30
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• 2014

The book ${\ll}$Ceyuan Haijing${\gg}$ studies inscribed and circumscribed circles in a right triangle and shows equations that give the diameters of the circles. We discuss the development of mathematical contents written by the scholar Yang Zhaoyun in Qing dynasty on the contents of ${\ll}$Ceyuan Haijing${\gg}$ in his book ${\ll}$Jiuyong Yandai${\gg}$. He derived equations to find the diameters of the circles based on algebraic knowledge known in the Qing dynasty. In this paper, we conclude that Yang's methods in devising the equations include the Gou-Gu Theorem, mathematical expressions derived from Gou-Gu ratio table, and the technique of interchanging triangles and events. We conclude that the Gou-Gu ratio table was a very important tool when Yang devised the equations in ${\ll}$Ceyuan Haijing${\gg}$.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.137-162
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• 2017

The Chinese algebraic method, the tian yuan shu, was developed during Song period (960-1279), of which Li Ye's works contain the earliest testimony. Two 18th century editors commentated on his works: the editor of the Siku quanshu and Li Rui, the latter responding to the former. Korean scholar Nam Byeong-gil added another response in 1855. Differences can be found in the way these commentators considered mathematical objects and procedures. The conflicting nature of these commentaries shows that the same object, the quadratic equation, can beget different interpretations, either a procedure or an assertion of equality. Textual elements in this paper help modern readers reconstruct different authors' understandings and reconsider the evolution of the definition of the object we now call 'equation'.