International Conference on History of Ancient Mathematics and Astronomy – 2015

In Memory of Professor Li Jimin 李继闵 (1938-1993)

Algorithms in the mathematical sciences in the ancient world

August 23 – 29, 2015
Venue: Howard Johnson Ginwa Plaza Hotel Xi’an (Xi’an Jinhua Haosheng Dajiudian), 18 West Section, Huancheng South Road, Xian, Shaanxi, China
地址: 中国西安市环城南路西段18号 – 西安金花豪生国际大酒店

Organisation
The Conference is organised by the Northwest University, China and the ERC Project SAW, SPHERE, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, France.

Scientific committee
Karine Chemla  (ERC Project SAW, SPHERE, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, Paris)
QU Anjing 曲安京 (School of Mathematics, Northwest University, Xi’an)

Members of the Scientific Committee
Pascal Crozet
(SPHERE, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, Paris), Serafina Cuomo (Birkbeck College, University of London,London), Benno van Dalen (Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Munich), Takao Hayashi (Doshisha University, Kyoto), Geoffrey Lloyd (Needham Research Institute, Cambridge), Christine Proust (ERC Project SAW, SPHERE, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, Paris), Mark Schiefsky (Harvard University, Boston), John Steele (Brown University, Providence), Annette Warner-Imhausen, (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt), Michio Yano (Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto)

Local organizing committee
Tang Quan (Xianyang Normal University, Xianyang, China,Chair), Wang Chang (Northwest University, Xi’an, China), Yuan Min (Northwest University, Xi’an, China), Zhao Jiwei (Northwest University, Xi’an, China)

Presentation
Algorithms in the mathematical sciences in the ancient world
Whether we look at writings from the ancient world dealing with mathematics stricto sensu, astral sciences, or any other mathematical science, mathematical knowledge in them most often took the shape of procedures (in modern terms, “algorithms.”) The conference will focus on these procedures as such from the widest spectrum of perspectives possible. For instance, participants are invited to explore how these procedures were written down, and the knowledge involved in formulating mathematics in this way. They can explore the users of the procedures in their variety. They can examine the various ways in which mathematical knowledge developed in the framework of procedures. We are also interested in the question of how paying due attention to procedures could help us approach issues of the circulation of knowledge.

List of Speakers
Azzarello, Giuseppina (University of Udine / Universität Trier, Italy)
Bernard, Alain (Université Paris Est-Créteil and CNRS-EHESS Centre Koyré, France)
Chemla, Karine (ERC Project SAW & SPHERE UMR 7219, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, France)
Cuomo, Serafina (Birkbeck, University of London, England)
Høyrup, Jens (Roskilde University, Denmark)
Hunger, Hermann (University of Vienna, Austria)
Husson, Matthieu (CNRS-SYRTE, ERC project SAW, France)
Ji Zhigang (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China)
Keller, Agathe (CNRS UMR 7219 and ERC SAW co-director, France)
Kremer, Richard Lynn (Dartmouth College, USA)
Ramasubramanian, Krishnamurthi (Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India)
Morgan, Daniel Patrick (ERC project SAW, CNRS – Université Paris Diderot, France)
Ohashi Yukio (Japan)
Proust, Christine (CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, ERC Project SAW, France)
Qu Anjing (Northwest University, China)
Ritter, Jim (Université Marie et Pierre Curie-Paris Rive Gauche, France)
Steele, John (Brown University, USA)
Tang Quan (Xianyang Normal University, China)
Van Brummelen, Glen Robert (Quest University, Canada)
Warner, Annette (Imhausen) (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany)
Xiao Can (Hunan University,China)
Zheng Fanglei (Fudan University, China)
Zou Dahai (Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, China)
Zhao Jiwei (Northwest University,China)

Programme

Day 1 (August 24 )
First session: 8:00-12:00
Algorithms in Antiquity around the Mediterranean sea
Chairman:STEELE, John
WARNER, Annette (Imhausen),Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
Title:Algorithms in ancient Egyptian mathematics
AZZARELLO, Giuseppina,University of Udine / Universität Trier, Italy
Title:Arithmetic Tables from the Graeco -Roman Egypt   
CUOMO, Serafina,Birkbeck University of London, England
Title:Numeracy and different mathematical ‘traditions’ in Greco-Roman antiquity

Second session:14:00-17:30
Algorithms between mathematics, the astral sciences and other fields in East Asia
Chairman:TENG Yanhui
RAMASUBRAMANIAN, Krishnamurthi,Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India
Title:The Trajectory to Ananta in Indian mathematics
QU Anjing 曲安京,Northwest University, China
Title:A mathematical link between cosmic model  and music in ancient China
XIAO Can 肖灿,Hunan University,China
Title: A preliminary study on the Beida Bamboo Lu Jiuci asked Chenqi for Mathematics

Day 2 (August 25)
Third session: 8:00-12:00
Algorithms in Antiquity in the Near East
Chairman:WARNER, Annette (Imhausen)
RITTER, Jim,Université Marie et Pierre Curie-Paris Rive Gauche, France
Title:Algorithms in Babylonian rational practice texts  
HUNGER, Hermann,University of Vienna, Austria
Title:Procedures in Babylonian astronomical texts       
STEELE, John,Brown University, USA
Title:A comparison of the algorithms found in different Babylonian astronomical texts   

Fourth session: 14:00-17:30
Algorithms in the astral sciences from the Mediterranean sea to East Asia
Chairman:YUAN Min
VAN BRUMMELEN, Glen Robert,Quest University, Canada
Title:Algorithms in Islamic astronomy
TANG Quan 唐泉,Xianyang Normal University, China
Title:A study on grades of motion for Mars in ancient China
LIU Yaya 刘娅娅,Xi’an University of Finance and Economics, China
Title:Equal Temperament Circa 1600 in China and Europe

Day 3 (August 26)
Fifth session: 8:00-12:00
Critical perspectives on texts of algorithms in the ancient world
Chairman:RAMASUBRAMANIAN, Krishnamurthi
HøYRUP, Jens,Roskilde University, Denmark
Title:When is the algorithm concept pertinent – and when not? Thoughts about algorithms and paradigmatic examples, and about algorithmic and non-algorithmic mathematical cultures
PROUST, Christine,ERC project SAW (co-director) & SPHERE CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, France
Title:Algorithms through series of problems in Old Babylonian cuneiform texts, Abstract
KELLER, Agathe,ERC Project SAW (co-director) & SPHERE UMR 7219, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, France
Title:The fruitful analysis of algorithms and their texts: some examples from the Sanskrit, Abstract

Sixth session: 14:00-17:30
Algorithms in early China mathematical documents and their circulation
Chairman:TANG Quan
MORGAN, Daniel Patrick, ERC Project SAW & SPHERE UMR 7219, CNRS & Université Paris Diderot, France
Title:Early Chinese mathematical manuscripts, Abstract
ZOU Dahai 邹大海,Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, China
Title:A study on a type of wedge-shaped solid in early Chinese mathematical documents  
JI Zhigang 纪志刚,Shanghai Jiao Tong University,China
Title:The historical evolution of the algorithm of false position: single, double and multiple-double

Day 4 (August 27)
Seventh session: 8:00-12:00
Algorithms and proofs in the ancient world
Chairman:CUOMO, Serafina
CHEMLA, Karine,ERC Project SAW & SPHERE UMR 7219, CNRS – Université Paris Diderot, France
Title:Mathematical reasoning and computation in the early astral sciences in Chinese, Abstract
BERNARD, Alain, Université Paris Est-Créteil & CNRS-EHESS Centre Koyré UMR 8560, France
Title:Procedural justifications in Diophantus’s Arithmetica: the role and foundation of arithmetical paraphrase in his problem solving strategy
ZHENG Fanglei 郑方磊,Fudan University, China
Title:On the nature of the deduction parts in the propositions of Jordanus Nemorarius’ De Numeris Datis

Eighth session: 14:00-17:30
Algorithms and proofs in the Latin world
Chairman:HUNGER, Hermann
KREMER, Richard Lynn,Dartmouth College, USA
Title:Algorithms and true syzygy in medieval Latin Astronomy   
HUSSON, Matthieu,CNRS-SYRTE, ERC project SAW, France
Title:Conjonction problems in John of Murs’ Quadripartitum numerorum (1343), Abstract     
ZHAO Jiwei 赵继伟,Northwest University,China
Title:Transformations of equations: comparative study on Cardano and Vieta

Website of the conference