Description
Book SynopsisPresents excerpts from the travel diary of a Japanese mathematician, Yamaguchi Kanzan, who journeyed on foot throughout Japan to collect temple geometry problems. This book explains the sacred and devotional aspects of sangaku, and reveals how Japanese folk mathematicians discovered many theorems independently of mathematicians in the West.
Trade ReviewWinner of the 2008 PROSE Award in Mathematics, Association of American Publishers "Now Fukagawa Hidetoshi, a mathematics teacher, and writer Tony Rothman present a collection of Sangaku problems in their book, Sacred Mathematics. The puzzles range from simple algebra within the grasp of any intermediate-school student, to challenging problems that require graduate-school mathematics to solve. Copious illustrations and many detailed solutions show the scope, complexity, and beauty of what was tackled in Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate."--Peter J. Lu, Nature "Fascinating and beautiful book."--Physics World "This book is the most thorough (and beautiful) account of Japanese temple geometry (sangaku) available."--Paul J. Campbell, Mathematics Magazine "The difficult problems with complete solutions and rich commentary that comprise the heart of this book will interest every mathematics student."--Choice "This is a marvelous book. Good books are not just written or compiled, they are crafted. Sacred Mathematics is a well crafted work that combines mathematics, history and cultural considerations into an intriguing narrative... The writing style is appealing and the organization of material excellent. Princeton University Press must be congratulated on producing this quality publication and offering it at an agreeable price. This book is highly recommended for personal reading and library acquisition. It should be especially appealing to problem solvers."--Frank J. Swetz, Convergence "A unique book in every respect. Sacred Mathematics demonstrates how mathematical thinking can vary by culture yet transcend cultural and geographic boundaries."--International Institute for Asian Studies Newsletter
Table of ContentsForeword by Freeman Dyson ix Preface by Fukagawa Hidetoshi xiii Preface by Tony Rothman xv Acknowledg ments xix What Do I Need to Know to Read This Book? xxi Notation xxv Chapter 1: Japan and Temple Geometry 1 Chapter 2: The Chinese Foundation of Japanese Mathematics 27 Chapter 3: Japa nese Mathematics and Mathematicians of the Edo Period 59 Chapter 4: Easier Temple Geometry Problems 89 Chapter 5: Harder Temple Geometry Problems 145 Chapter 6: Still Harder Temple Geometry Problems 191 Chapter 7: The Travel Diary of Mathematician Yamaguchi Kanzan 243 Chapter 8: East and West 283 Chapter 9: The Mysterious Enri 301 Chapter 10: Introduction to Inversion 313 For Further Reading 337 Index 341
