出土简牍与中国早期数学史 - Institute for the History of Natural.DOC

出土簡牘與中國早期數學史* 鄒大海 （北京100010，中國科學院自然科學史研究所） 摘要 簡牘的發現與利用對中國史研究的很多方面都産生了深刻的影響。但在中國數學史的研究中，簡牘所發揮的作用曾長期非常有限。不過，近十年來特別是新世紀以來，隨著張家山出土的《筭數書》的全文公布，簡牘材料的作用正逐漸突顯出來。出土簡牘中真正的數學文獻不多，但有些非數學文獻對研究數學史仍有著非常重要的價值。本文從以下相互關聯的幾個方面就出土簡牘對中國早期數學史研究的作用和意義做一初步的討論。一、出土數學文獻爲認識早期數學提供了一些完全可靠的實例。二、出土簡牘文獻使我們能對以前中國數學史研究中的一些論斷進行檢驗。三、出土簡牘文獻促使我們對以往中國數學史的研究方法進行反思。四、出土文獻爲我們重建早期中國數學史提供了重要的依據。 關鍵詞 出土簡牘，中國早期數學史，《筭數書》，《九章算術》，錢寳琮，李儼 The unearthed bamboo and wooden strips and the history of mathematics in early China ZOU Dahai (Beijing 100010, Institute for the History of Natural Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences) Abstract: The discovery and use of bamboo and wooden strips have greatly influenced the study on the history of China. But the effect of the bamboo and wooden strips on the study on the history of mathematics of China had been very limited for a long time. However, in the late ten years especially since the beginning of the new century, when the whole text of the Suanshu Shu (Writings on Reckoning) unearthed from Zhangjiashan was published, the power of the bamboo and wooden strips has gradually become more and more conspicuous. Though there are only a few materials of mathematics in the strips, some materials of other kinds are also very important for the study on history of mathematics. In this paper, I will preliminarily discuss the uses and significance of the strips in the study on the history of mathematics through the following interrelated aspects: Firstly, the unearthed strips provide many absolutely credible examples of mathematics for us to recognize the mathematics of early China. Secondly, the unearthed strips provide evidences for us to examine the judgements in the earlier published works concerning the history of mathematics in early China. Thirdly, the unearthed strips impel us to rethink the methods of study on history of mathematics in China. In the end, the unearthed strips provide important foundations for us to reconstruct the history of mathematics in early China. Keywo