A Chinese canon in mathematics and its two layers of commentaries: Reading a collection of texts as shaped by actors

Abstract

The earliest mathematical books written in Chinese that have been handed down through the written tradition share a common feature: They were all granted the status of “canons (jing)” some time after their completion Moreover, in correlation with this status, in the seventh century as well as, in some cases, some centuries earlier, commentaries were composed on them. This chapter focuses on one of these canons, The Nine Chapters on Mathematical Procedures, as well as its two earliest extant commentaries. The Nine Chapters is one of the oldest canons that has come down to us. It has played a central role both in the history and the historiography of mathematics in China. The main questions addressed in this chapter were inspired by some remarks regarding the way in which The Nine Chapters and its commentaries have been handed down.