• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.11-18
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• 2008

In this paper, we investigate Lee Sang Hyuk (李尙爀, $1810{\sim}?$)'s first mathematical work ChaGeunBangMongGu(借根方蒙求, 1854) and its relation with Shu li jing yun and Chi shui yi zhen. We then study an influence of western mathematics for establishing his study on algebra.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.1-14
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• 2009

Since western mathematics and astronomy had been introduced in Chosun dynasty in the 17th century, most of Chosun mathematicians studied Shu li jing yun(數理精蘊) for the western mathematics. In the last two decades of the 19th century, Chosun scholars have studied them which were introduced by Japanese text books and western missionaries. The former dealt mostly with elementary arithmetic and the latter established schools and taught mathematics. Lee Sang Seol(1870~1917) is well known in Korea as a Confucian scholar, government official, educator and foremost Korean independence movement activist in the 20th century. He was very eager to acquire western civilizations and studied them with the minister H. B. Hulbert(1863~1949). He wrote a mathematics book Su Ri(數理, 1898-1899) which has two parts. The first one deals with the linear part(線部) and geometry in Shu li jing yun and the second part with algebra. Using Su Ri, we investigate the process of transmission of western mathematics into Chosun in the century and show that Lee Sang Seol built a firm foundation for the study of algebra in Chosun.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.273-289
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• 2018

The KaiFangFa開方法 of traditional mathematics was completed in ${\ll}$JiuZhang SuanShu九章算術${\gg}$ originally, and further organized in Song宋 $Yu{\acute{a}}n$元 dinasities. The former is the ShiSuoKaiFangFa釋鎖開方法 using the coefficients of the polynomial expansion, and the latter is the ZengChengKaiFangFa增乘開方法 obtaining the solution only by some mechanical numerical manipulations. ${\ll}$SanHak JeongEui算學正義${\gg}$ basically used the latter and improved the estimate-value array by referring to the written-calculation in ${\ll}$ShuLi JingYun數理精蘊${\gg}$. As a result, ZengChengKaiFangFa was more refined so that the KaiFangFa algorithm is more consistent.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2007

In the middle of 19th century, Chosun mathematicians Nam Byung Gil(南秉吉) and Lee Sang Hyuk(李尙爀) studied mathematical structures developed in Song(宋) and Yuan(元) eras on top of their early studies on Jiu zhang suan shu(九章算術) and Shu li jing yun(數理精蘊). Their studies gave rise to a momentum for a prominent development of Chosun mathematics in the century. In this paper, we investigate Nam Byung Gil's JipGoYunDan(輯古演段) and MuIHae(無異解) and then study his theory of equations. Through a collaboration with Lee, Sang Hyuk, he consolidated the eastern and western structure of theory of equations.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

In this paper, we investigate the part dealing with algebra in Hong Gil Ju's GiHaSinSul to analyze his algebraic structure. The book consists of three parts. In the first part SangChuEokSan, he just renames Die jie hu zheng(疊借互徵) in Shu li jing yun to SangChuEokSan and adds a few examples. In the second part GaeBangMongGu, he obtains the following identities: $$n^2=n(n-1)+n=2S_{n-1}^1+S_n^0;\;n^3=n(n-1)(n+1)+n=6S_{n-1}^2+S_n^0$$; $$n^4=(n-1)n^2(n+1)+n(n-1)+n=12T_{n-1}^2+2S_{n-1}^1+S_n^0$$; $$n^5=2\sum_{k=1}^{n-1}5S_k^1(1+S_k^1)+S_n^0$$ where $S_n^0=n,\;S_n^{m+1}={\sum}_{k=1}^nS_k^m,\;T_n^1={\sum}_{k=1}^nk^2,\;and\;T_n^2={\sum}_{k=1}^nT_k^1$, and then applies these identities to find the nth roots $(2{\leq}n{\leq}5)$. Finally in JabSwoeSuCho, he introduces the quotient ring Z/(9) of the ring Z of integers to solve a system of congruence equations and also establishes a geometric procedure to obtain golden sections from a given one.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.641-651
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• 2011

In 2007, a Taiwanese mathematics historian Wann-Sheng HORNG made a visit to Kyujanggak(the royal library of Joseon Dynasty) in Seoul, Korea. During this visit, he found the Korean math book An abridged version of the Joseon Mathematics (<數學節要>, Su-Hak-Jeol-Yo), which was written by Jong-Hwa AN(9 Nov 1860 - 24 Nov 1924) in 1882. Then he mentioned the possible importance of AN's book in his article in the Journal Kyujanggak(vol. 32, June 2008). Jong-Hwa AN is a Korean scholar, activist of patriotism and enlightenment in the latter era of Joseon Dynasty. He passed the last examination of Joseon Dynasty to become a high government officer in 1894. The father of the modern mathematics education in Korea, Sang-Seol LEE(1870-1917) also passed the same examination with him. It is interesting that government high officer AN and LEE both wrote mathematics books in 19th century. In this talk, we now analyze this mathematics book of Joseon written in 1882.