The ''Ten Computational Canons'' () was a collection of ten Chinese mathematical works dating from pre-

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

to early

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

, compiled by the early Tang mathematician

Li Chunfeng Li Chunfeng (; 602–670) was a Chinese astronomer, historian, mathematician, and politician who was born in today's Baoji, Baoji, Shaanxi, during the Sui dynasty, Sui and Tang dynasty, Tang dynasties. He was first appointed to the Imperial Astr ...

(602–670) in the 650s, as the official mathematical texts for

imperial examination The imperial examination was a civil service examination system in History of China#Imperial China, Imperial China administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the Civil service#China, state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureau ...

s in mathematics. In 1084 during the Northern Song dynasty, the text '' Shushu Jiyi'' was selected to be part of this collection, replacing ''Zhui Shu''. Thus ''Shushu Jiyi'' has appeared in the subsequent issuing of the catalogue. The original Ten Computational Canons includes: #''

Zhoubi Suanjing The ''Zhoubi Suanjing'', also known by many other names, is an ancient Chinese astronomical and mathematical work. The ''Zhoubi'' is most famous for its presentation of Chinese cosmology and a form of the Pythagorean theorem. It claims to pr ...

'' (''Zhou Shadow Mathematical Classic'') #'' Jiuzhang Suanshu'' (''The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'') #'' Haidao Suanjing'' (''The Sea Island Mathematical Classic'') #''

Sunzi Suanjing ''Sunzi Suanjing'' () was a mathematical treatise written during 3rd to 5th centuries CE which was listed as one of the Ten Computational Canons during the Tang dynasty. The specific identity of its author Sunzi (lit. "Master Sun") is still ...

'' (''The Mathematical Classic of Sun Zi'') #'' Zhang Qiujian Suanjing'' (''The Mathematical Classic of Zhang Qiujian'') #'' Wucao Suanjing'' (''Computational Canon of the Five Administrative Sections'') #''

Xiahou Yang Suanjing ''Xiahou Yang Suanjing'' (''Xiahou Yang's Mathematical Manual'') is a mathematical treatise attributed to the fifth century CE Chinese mathematician Xiahou Yang. However, some historians are of the opinion that ''Xiahou Yang Suanjing'' was not wr ...

'' (''The Mathematical Classic of Xiahou Yang'') #'' Wujing Suanshu'' (''Computational Prescriptions of the Five Classics'') #''

Jigu Suanjing ''Jigu suanjing'' ( zh, 緝古算經, ''Continuation of Ancient Mathematics'') was the work of early Tang dynasty calendarist and mathematician Wang Xiaotong, written some time before the year 626, when he presented his work to the Emperor. ''Jig ...

'' (''Continuation of Ancient Mathematical Classic'') #'' Zhui Shu'' (''Method of Interpolation'') It was specified in

laws on examination that ''Sunzi Suanjing'' and the ''Computational Canon of the Five Administrative Sections'' together required one year of study; ''The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'' plus ''Haidao Suanjing'' three years; ''Jigu Suanjing'' three years; ''Zhui Shu'' four years; and ''Zhang Qiujian'' and ''Xia Houyang'' one year each. The government of the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

actively promoted the study of mathematics. There were two government xylograph editions of ''The Ten Computational Canons'' in the years 1084 and 1213. The wide availability of these mathematical texts contributed to the flourishing of mathematics in the Song and Yuan dynasties, inspiring mathematicians such as Jia Xian,

Qin Jiushao Qin Jiushao (, ca. 1202–1261), courtesy name Daogu (道古), was a Chinese mathematician, meteorologist, inventor, politician, and writer. He is credited for discovering Horner's method as well as inventing Tianchi basins, a type of rain gau ...

Yang Hui Yang Hui (, ca. 1238–1298), courtesy name Qianguang (), was a Chinese mathematician and writer during the Song dynasty. Originally, from Qiantang (modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang), Yang worked on magic squares, magic circles and the binomial the ...

, Li Zhi and

Zhu Shijie Zhu Shijie (, 1249–1314), courtesy name Hanqing (), pseudonym Songting (), was a Chinese mathematician and writer during the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu was born close to today's Beijing. Two of his mathematical works have survived: ''Introduction to C ...

. In the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

during the reign of the

Yongle Emperor The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 142 ...

, some of the ''Ten Canons'' were copied into the ''

Yongle Encyclopedia The ''Yongle Encyclopedia'' () or ''Yongle Dadian'' () is a Chinese ''leishu'' encyclopedia commissioned by the Yongle Emperor (1402–1424) of the Ming dynasty in 1403 and completed by 1408. It comprised 22,937 manuscript rolls in 11,095 vol ...

''. During the reign of the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China pr ...

in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, scholar Dai Zhen made copies of the ''Zhoubi Suanjing'', ''The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'', ''Haidao Suanjing'', ''Sunzi Suanjing'', ''Zhang Qiujian Suanjing'', ''Computational Canon of the Five Administrative Sections'', ''Xiahou Yang Suanjing'', ''Computational Prescriptions of the Five Classics'', ''Jigu Suanjing'', and ''Shushu Jiyi'' from the ''Yongle Encyclopedia'' and transferred them into another encyclopedia, the ''

Complete Library of the Four Treasuries The ''Siku Quanshu'', literally the ''Complete Library of the Four Treasuries'', is a Chinese encyclopedia commissioned during the Qing dynasty by the Qianlong Emperor. Commissioned in 1772 and completed in 1782, the ''Siku quanshu'' is the larg ...

''. File:周髀算經.jpg, ''Zhoubi Suanjing'' File:九章算術.gif, ''The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art'' File:海岛算经.jpg, ''Haidao Suanjing'' File:Sun Zi Suanjing.JPG, ''Sunzi Suanjing'' File:WUCHAO SUANJING-002-002.jpg, ''Wucao Suanjing'' (''Computational Canon of the Five Administrative Sections'') File:Jigu Suanjing.JPG, ''Jigu Suanjing'' File:WUCHAO SUANJING-073-073.jpg, ''Shushu Jiyi''

References

* Jean Claude Martzloff, ''A History of Chinese Mathematics'', pp. 123–126. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Ten Computational Canons Chinese mathematics texts Tang dynasty