Chinese Journal of Science Education


Vol. 16 No. 3 , Pages 239 - 253 , 2008

Hua Hengfang and Euclid’s Elements (Article written in Chinese)

Wann-Sheng HORNG

Abstract

Hua Hengfang (1833–1902) was a notable mathematician in late Qing China. He had made contributions to some subjects basically in terms of traditional Chinese mathematics. By following Li Shanlan’s (1811–1882) step, he also translated, in collaboration with English missionaries such as John Fryer, several mathematics and science treatises. These translations which were mainly textbooks used in college in contemporary Great Britain and United States might very well reflect his mathematical expertise. Nevertheless, his mathematics notebooks, Xue Suan Bi Tan and Suan Zhai Suo Yu, should have also evidenced his own reflections on how the Ji He Yuan Ben was read. In this article, I will elaborate on the two texts to explain how Hua Hengfang perceived the picture of the Western geometry as manifested in the mathematical classic, Euclid’s Elements. Meanwhile, I will also attempt to link this episode with the institutionalization of modern Chinese mathematics education.

Keywords: Hua Hengfang; Ji He Yuan Ben; Li Shanlan; Xue Suan Bi Tan; Suan Zhai Suo Yu

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