• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-16
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• 2005

Chosun dynasty mathematician Park Yul (1621 - ?) wrote San Hak Won Bon(算學原本) which was posthumously published in 1700 by his son Park Du Se (朴斗世). It is the first mathematics book whose publishing date is known, although we have Muk Sa Jib San Bub (默思集算法) by Gyung Sun Jing (慶善徵, 1616-?). San Hak Won Bon is the first Chosun book which deals with tian yuan shu (天元術) and was quoted by many Chosun authors. We do find it in the library in Korea University. In this paper, we investigate its contents together with its historical significance and influences to the development of Chosun dynasty Mathematics and conclude that Park Yul is one of the most prominent Chosun dynasty mathematicians.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2012

Since JiuZhang SuanShu(九章算術), the basic field of the traditional mathemtics in Eastern Asia is the field of rational numbers and hence irrational solutions of equations should be replaced by rational approximations. Thus approximate solutions of equations became a very important subject in theory of equations. We first investigate the history of approximate solutions in Chinese sources and then compare them with those in Chosun mathematics. The theory of approximate solutions in Chosun has been established in SanHakWonBon(算學原本) written by Park Yul(1621 - 1668) and JuSeoGwanGyun(籌書管見, 1718) by Cho Tae Gu(趙泰耉, 1660-1723). We show that unlike the Chinese counterpart, Park and Cho were concerned with errors of approximate solutions and tried to find better approximate solutions.