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Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Ser.: Remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts : Manuscripts in the Schoyen Collection - Cuneiform Texts I by Jöran Friberg (2007, Hardcover)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherSpringer New York
ISBN-100387345434
ISBN-139780387345437
eBay Product ID (ePID)54239078
Product Key Features
Number of PagesXx, 536 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication NameRemarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts : Manuscripts in the Schoyen Collection - Cuneiform Texts I
Publication Year2007
SubjectHistory & Philosophy
TypeTextbook
AuthorJöran Friberg
Subject AreaMathematics
SeriesSources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences Ser.
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height0.6 in
Item Weight56.5 Oz
Item Length11 in
Item Width8.5 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceScholarly & Professional
LCCN2006-932408
ReviewsFrom the reviews: "This fascinating book presents 121 unpublished mathematical clay tablets from the Norwegian Schøyen Collection ... . The book is divided into 12 chapters, 10 appendices, a vocabulary for MS texts, an index of subjects ... and a large list of references. ... Many pictures, drawings and coloured photos of the most interesting tablets are also included. ... opens up Babylonian mathematics to a new generation of mathematicians, historians of science and mathematics, teachers and students. It can therefore be recommended to a wide audience." (European Mathematical Society Newsletter, June, 2008) "We welcome the book under review, a study of the Martin Schøyen collection ... . this collection include exemplars of virtually every known type of mathematical tablet, as well as some types of tablets that have never been published. ... Friberg's book will be invaluable for anyone studying Mesopotamian mathematics, as it provides so many more examples of mathematical ideas that were used by the scribes. ... Any good library in the history of mathematics should possess copies ... ." (Victor J. Katz, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2008 h), From the reviews: "This fascinating book presents 121 unpublished mathematical clay tablets from the Norwegian Schyen Collection ... . The book is divided into 12 chapters, 10 appendices, a vocabulary for MS texts, an index of subjects ... and a large list of references. ... Many pictures, drawings and coloured photos of the most interesting tablets are also included. ... opens up Babylonian mathematics to a new generation of mathematicians, historians of science and mathematics, teachers and students. It can therefore be recommended to a wide audience." (European Mathematical Society Newsletter, June, 2008) "We welcome the book under review, a study of the Martin Schyen collection ... . this collection include exemplars of virtually every known type of mathematical tablet, as well as some types of tablets that have never been published. ... Friberg's book will be invaluable for anyone studying Mesopotamian mathematics, as it provides so many more examples of mathematical ideas that were used by the scribes. ... Any good library in the history of mathematics should possess copies ... ." (Victor J. Katz, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2008 h), From the reviews:"This fascinating book presents 121 unpublished mathematical clay tablets from the Norwegian Schøyen Collection … . The book is divided into 12 chapters, 10 appendices, a vocabulary for MS texts, an index of subjects … and a large list of references. … Many pictures, drawings and coloured photos of the most interesting tablets are also included. … opens up Babylonian mathematics to a new generation of mathematicians, historians of science and mathematics, teachers and students. It can therefore be recommended to a wide audience." (European Mathematical Society Newsletter, June, 2008)"We welcome the book under review, a study of the Martin Schøyen collection … . this collection include exemplars of virtually every known type of mathematical tablet, as well as some types of tablets that have never been published. … Friberg's book will be invaluable for anyone studying Mesopotamian mathematics, as it provides so many more examples of mathematical ideas that were used by the scribes. … Any good library in the history of mathematics should possess copies … ." (Victor J. Katz, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2008 h)
TitleLeadingA
Dewey Edition22
Number of Volumes1 vol.
IllustratedYes
Dewey Decimal510.935
Table Of ContentAcknowledgements.- Introduction.- Documentation of Provenance.- Abbreviations.- How to Get a Better Understanding of Mathematical Cuneiform Texts.- Old Babylonian Arithmetical Hand Tablets.- Old Babylonian Arithmetical Table Texts.- Old Babylonian Metrological Table Texts.- Mesopotamian Weight Stones.- Neo-Sumerian Field Maps (Ur III).- An Old Sumerian Metro-Mathematical Table Text (Early Dynastic IIIa).- Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Practical Mathematics.- Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Geometric Exercises.- The Beginning and the End of the Sumerian King List.- Three Old Babylonian Mathematical Problem Texts from Uruk.- Three Problem Texts Not Belonging to Any Known Group of Texts.- App. 1. Subtractive Notations for Numbers in Mathematical Cuneiform Texts.- App. 2. The Old Babylonian Combined Multiplication Table.- App. 3. An Old Babylonian Combined Arithmetical Algorithm.- App. 4. Cuneiform Systems of Notations for Numbers and Measures.- App. 5. Old Babylonian Complete Metrological Tables.- App. 6. Metro-Mathematical Cuneiform Texts from the Third Millennium BC.- App. 7. CUNES 50-08-001. A Combined Metro-Mathematical Table Text (ED IIIb).- App. 8. Plimpton 322, a Table of Parameters for igi-igi.bi Problems.- App. 9. Many-Place Squares of Squares in Late Babylonian Mathematical Texts.- App. 10. Color Photos of Selected Texts.- Vocabulary for the MS Texts.- Index of Subjects.- Index of Texts.- References.
SynopsisThe book analyzes the mathematical tablets from the private collection of Martin Schoyen. It includes analyses of tablets which have never been studied before. This provides new insight into Babylonian understanding of sophisticated mathematical objects. The book is carefully written and organized. The tablets are classified according to mathematical content and purpose, while drawings and pictures are provided for the most interesting tablets., The book is a broad survey of Babylonian mathematics with many new and surprising results. It is based on a large collection of previously unpublished mathematical cuneiform texts in the possession of a Norwegian collector, Martin Schoyen., The sub-collection of mathematical cuneiform texts in the Schøyen Collection makes a substantial addition to the known corpus of such texts. It contains 121 texts, not counting 151 multiplication tables and 53 small weight stones. According to the catalog at the end of the Index of Subjects below, where those 121 mathematical texts are ordered by content, nearly all known kinds, and some new kinds, of mathematical cun- form texts are represented in the collection. Therefore it has been possible to organize the present work as a broad general account of Mesopotamian mathematics, illustrated mainly by texts from the Schøyen Collection, but occasionally also by previously published texts. The general disposition of the book is borrowed from my own concise but comprehensive survey of Mesopotamian mathematics in the article on "Mathematics" in Reallexikon der Assyriologie, vol. 7 (1990). My ambition has been to make the account easily accessible to all kinds of readers, yet still as detailed and exhaustive as possible. For that purpose, there is, for instance, an introductory Chapter 0 on "how to get a b- ter understanding of mathematical cuneiform texts". The chapter begins with a discussion of the danger of unintentional anachronisms in translations of pre-Greek mathematical texts, and continues with a presentation of the kind of "conform" transliterations, translations, and interpretations, true to the original, that will be used throughout the book in discussions of individual texts., The sub-collection of mathematical cuneiform texts in the Sch yen Collection makes a substantial addition to the known corpus of such texts. It contains 121 texts, not counting 151 multiplication tables and 53 small weight stones. According to the catalog at the end of the Index of Subjects below, where those 121 mathematical texts are ordered by content, nearly all known kinds, and some new kinds, of mathematical cun- form texts are represented in the collection. Therefore it has been possible to organize the present work as a broad general account of Mesopotamian mathematics, illustrated mainly by texts from the Sch yen Collection, but occasionally also by previously published texts. The general disposition of the book is borrowed from my own concise but comprehensive survey of Mesopotamian mathematics in the article on "Mathematics" in Reallexikon der Assyriologie, vol. 7 (1990). My ambition has been to make the account easily accessible to all kinds of readers, yet still as detailed and exhaustive as possible. For that purpose, there is, for instance, an introductory Chapter 0 on "how to get a b- ter understanding of mathematical cuneiform texts". The chapter begins with a discussion of the danger of unintentional anachronisms in translations of pre-Greek mathematical texts, and continues with a presentation of the kind of "conform" transliterations, translations, and interpretations, true to the original, that will be used throughout the book in discussions of individual texts., The book analyzes the mathematical tablets which are in the possession of a private collector, Martin Schoyen. This collection contains all sorts of tablets, some similar to classical ones but also others with fascinating new material. Here the author translates their mathematical content, compares it with previous known material, then evaluates the period of the tablet and its purpose. This allows the author to provide new insights into the interpretation of some classical tablets, as for example Plimpton 322 which has an exclusive appendix. What makes this book so unique is the light being shed on Babylonian mathematics. For instance, new evidence of Babylonian familiarity with sophisticated mathematical objects is provided, including the knowledge of the three dimensional Pythagorean equation and the familiarity with the geometry of the icosahedron is new and unexpected. The author is a master of analysis of the errors found in the tablets. It is well known that computational errors in the tablets are revealing of the algorithms employed in the computations. The author exploits with mastery this clever technique to gain new insight in the mathematical reasoning behind the content of the tablets. From the analysis it becomes increasingly clear that Babylonians were outstanding calculators, probably only comparable in modern times with exhibition genius calculators. For example, it appears that schoolboys were familiar with the multiplication tables at least up to 25!. He also gives numerous geometrical possible explanations and interpretations of the tablets. Another very important finding is the use of the zero notation in novelcontexts and periods. The book is very carefully written and organized, the tablets are classified according to their mathematical content and purpose, while useful drawings and pictures are provided for the most interesting tablets. The author makes a great effort to make the material accessible to both assyriologists and mathematicians. There is an introduction with basic background on babylonian mathematics and on numerous occasions the author reviews basic mathematical material
LC Classification NumberQA21-27
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