The Construction Of Mathematics In The Qing Dynasty

The construction of mathematics in the Qing dynasty revolved around dealing with the relationship between Yi(?)and Shu(?),establishing upper mathematical standards,and writing folk mathematics.An examination of the activities of the Qing dynasty in constructing mathematical knowledge can help us to redraw the history of mathematics in the Qing dynasty.The mathematical concepts of the Qing dynasty were the result of a long evolutionary process.In the Han Dynasty,mathematics was a part of the numeral culture,and served for the examination together with astronomy and calendar.After the Tang Dynasty,mathematics and astrology were gradually separated.Until the Qing Dynasty,astronomical almanac calculation and arithmancy completely went their separate ways.The former was kept in the mainstream of academic studies,while the latter was gradually labeled as "fallacy" and "strange" and became what today would be considered "science" and "superstition" respectively.Yi Mathematics(???)was reconstructed in the Qing Dynasty.The scholars of the early Qing Dynasty examined and denied the He Luo theory(????)developed in the Song and Ming dynasty.As the influence of Western knowledge gradually deepened,the rejected He Luo diagram was transformed by Emperor Kangxi and Li Guangdi(???)to represent the source of mathematics.With the discovery of ancient books and ancient calculations,scholars in the Qianlong period did not use He Luo to explain the long history of Chinese learning,while the study of Yi mathematics developed towards demystification.The upper literates set mathematical standards.During the Kangxi period,the theory of Western learning coming from China(“????”?)"was established,and the Essence of Numbers and their Principles(??????)was compiled,which established a set of mathematical standards that could be used in a universal way without emphasizing the differences between China and the West.However,this standard was not strictly followed by the scholars of the Qianlong period.Mei Juecheng(???)interpreted ancient mathematics with Western learning,Jiang Yong(??)emphasised the contrast between Chinese and Western,Dai Zhen(??)incorporated Western mathematical knowledge with the terminology of ancient mathematics,and Jiao Xun(??),Li Rui(??)and Wang Lai(??)emphasised the interpretation of ancient mathematics with ancient methods.Their constructs of mathematical knowledge are ultimately reflected in the Biographies of mathematical astronomers(?????),which is a new upper-level mathematical standard.The civil society reorganized the upper mathematics.Mei Juecheng revised the Ming dynasty practical mathematics book Suan Fa thung Tsung(??????),and Qu Zengfa(???)and Xu Guilin(???)adapted the official mathematics book the Essence of numbers and their principles.In these ways,they combined the new mathematical knowledge of the upper level with the traditional practical knowledge of the folk,allowing the knowledge from above to spread to the folk.At the same time,the adapted and reorganized books were also reported back to the upper levels,published and quoted by the upper officials,recorded in official books,and mathematical knowledge was circulated between the upper and lower levels.The construction of mathematics in the Qing Dynasty was a process of communication and practice,in which knowledge flowed continuously.Mathematical knowledge was transmitted from the upper levels to the lower levels,and the folk would also fed back to the upper levels.This is the result of inheriting,choosing and reforming knowledge based on the context of the Qing dynasty.