Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique

This textbook analyzes a number of texts in “conformal translation,” that is, a translation in which the same Babylonian term is always translated in the same way and, more importantly, in which different terms are always translated differently. Appendixes are provided for readers who are familiar w...

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Huvudupphov: Jens Høyrup
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author Jens Høyrup
author_browse Jens Høyrup
author_facet Jens Høyrup
author_sort Jens Høyrup
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description This textbook analyzes a number of texts in “conformal translation,” that is, a translation in which the same Babylonian term is always translated in the same way and, more importantly, in which different terms are always translated differently. Appendixes are provided for readers who are familiar with basic Assyriology but otherwise philological details are avoided. All of these texts are from the second half of the Old Babylonian period, that is, 1800–1600 BCE. It is indeed during this period that the “algebraic” discipline, and Babylonian mathematics in general, culminates. Even though a few texts from the late period show some similarities with what comes from the Old Babylonian period, they are but remnants. Beyond analyzing texts, the book gives a general characterization of the kind of mathematics involved, and locates it within the context of the Old Babylonian scribe school and its particular culture. Finally, it describes the origin of the discipline and its impact in later mathematics, not least Euclid’s geometry and genuine algebra as created in medieval Islam and taken over in European medieval and Renaissance mathematics.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-406312023-12-20T18:40:34Z Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique Jens Høyrup QA1-939 MPRL Edition Open Access bic Book Industry Communication::P Mathematics & science This textbook analyzes a number of texts in “conformal translation,” that is, a translation in which the same Babylonian term is always translated in the same way and, more importantly, in which different terms are always translated differently. Appendixes are provided for readers who are familiar with basic Assyriology but otherwise philological details are avoided. All of these texts are from the second half of the Old Babylonian period, that is, 1800–1600 BCE. It is indeed during this period that the “algebraic” discipline, and Babylonian mathematics in general, culminates. Even though a few texts from the late period show some similarities with what comes from the Old Babylonian period, they are but remnants. Beyond analyzing texts, the book gives a general characterization of the kind of mathematics involved, and locates it within the context of the Old Babylonian scribe school and its particular culture. Finally, it describes the origin of the discipline and its impact in later mathematics, not least Euclid’s geometry and genuine algebra as created in medieval Islam and taken over in European medieval and Renaissance mathematics. 2021-02-11T08:02:21Z 2021-02-11T08:02:21Z 2017-12-21 11:59:57 2017 book 24877 9783945561157 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/40631 eng Textbooks 2: Max Planck Research Library for the History and Development of Knowledge application/octet-stream Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International http://edition-open-access.de/textbooks/2/index.html Edition Open Access e3b46e08-88ff-4b35-af47-e887b8f3d8bb 9783945561157 156 open access
spellingShingle QA1-939
MPRL
Edition Open Access
bic Book Industry Communication::P Mathematics & science
Jens Høyrup
Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique
title Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique
title_full Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique
title_fullStr Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique
title_full_unstemmed Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique
title_short Algebra in Cuneiform: Introduction to an Old Babylonian Geometrical Technique
title_sort algebra in cuneiform introduction to an old babylonian geometrical technique
topic QA1-939
MPRL
Edition Open Access
bic Book Industry Communication::P Mathematics & science
topic_facet QA1-939
MPRL
Edition Open Access
bic Book Industry Communication::P Mathematics & science
url 24877
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