Liu Hui
Liu Hui ( Chinese 劉徽 ; * around 220; † around 280) was a Chinese mathematician. He lived in the Wei kingdom .
Liu Hui is known for his commentaries on the Jiu Zhang Suanshu , the "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic". This is a collection for solving math problems from everyday life. Liu Hui published Jiu Zhang Suanshu in 263 with his own comments, which is also the oldest surviving edition. His outstanding work includes
- The computation of pi by inscribing regular polygons in the circle. He suggested 3:14 as a good approximation.
- Solving systems of linear equations using a method that later became known as the Gaussian elimination method .
- The calculation of the volumes of prism , pyramid , tetrahedron , cylinder , cone and truncated cone .
He also wrote the Haidao suanjing ("Mathematical Handbook of the Sea Island"), one of the ten classics ( Suanjing shi shu ) of medieval Chinese mathematics. It was written in 263 and contains land surveying methods that were used in East Asia for the next thousand years following this book.
literature
- Frank Swetz Sea island mathematical manual: Surveying and Mathematics in ancient China , Pennsylvania State University Press 1992 (translation with annotations)
- Philip D. Straffin: Liu Hui and the First Golden Age of Chinese Mathematics. Mathematics Magazine, Vol. 71, No. 3, 1998, pp. 163-181 ( JSTOR )
Web links
- John J. O'Connor, Edmund F. Robertson : Liu Hui. In: MacTutor History of Mathematics archive .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Liu, Hui |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 劉徽 (Chinese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chinese mathematician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 220 |
| DATE OF DEATH | at 280 |