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The third approach to the history of mathematics in China

History and Overview 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

The first approach to the history of mathematics in China led by Li Yan (1892--1963) and Qian Baocong (1892--1974) featured discovering {\it what} mathematics had been done in China's past. From the 1970s on, Wu Wen-tsun and others shifted this research paradigm to one of recovering {\it how} mathematics was done in ancient China. Both approaches, however, focus on the same problem, that is mathematics in history. The theme of the third approach is supposed to be {\it why} mathematics was done. Combining this approach with the former two, the research paradigm will be improved from one of mathematics in history to that of the history of mathematics.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.math/0305024,
  title  = {The third approach to the history of mathematics in China},
  author = {Anjing Qu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0305024},
  year   = {2007}
}