Astronomy & Maths in Ancient China: The 'Zhou Bi Suan Jing' (Needham Research Institute Studies)

Christopher Cullen
Cambridge University Press, 8/21/2008
EAN 9780521035378, ISBN10: 0521035376

Paperback, 256 pages, 24.6 x 18.9 x 1.5 cm
Language: English

This translation of an ancient Chinese book on astronomy (which is believed to date back to the first century AD) provides the non-specialist with a lucid account of how Chinese astronomers did their work in ancient times. The book also shows how the Chinese imperial government made use of and supported the work of astronomers, and explores the links between astronomy and politics. It will be of equal interest to historians of science and those studying the history of Chinese culture.

Preface
1. The background of the Zhou bi
2. The Zhou bi and its contents
3. The origins of the work
4. The later history of the Zhou bi
Zhou bi suan jing
translation
Appendices
References and bibliography
Index.