Two problems in the \textit{Suanshu shu} (Book of mathematics): geometric relations between circles and squares and methods for determining their mutual relations (Q2073408)

This article discusses two geometric problems on circle and square in a mathematical manuscript written on bamboo slips excavated some 40 years ago in China. After having provided the archaeological context of the relevant slips and discussed the wide variety of interpretations given to date by historians, as for example in [\textit{C. Cullen}, Hist. Math. 34, No. 1, 10--44 (2007; Zbl 1148.01001)] or [\textit{J. W. Dauben}, Arch. Hist. Exact Sci. 62, No. 2, 91--178 (2008; Zbl 1153.01004)], the author of the article under review presents his own. First, he assumes that the two problems ``From a circular timber [find] a square timber'' and ``From a square timber [find] a circular timber'' are inverse problems. Convinced that both problems are real problems and that ``one of the prime characteristics of ancient Chinese mathematics is practicality'' he assumes an operation of adjustment that is implicitly contained in the inverse solution procedures to the two problems, but well known to the craftsmen, reflecting their ``imperfect mastery of production techniques''. Besides these hypotheses, two more relate to the reading of two Chinese characters in the problems discussed: \textit{ji} is interpreted as a conjunction referring to a conditional clause and \textit{mian} is read rather unusually as the diagonal of a square. Concluding on a moralising note and advising the historian how to deal best with ancient texts, the author repeats his stance -- without applying his own advice about good practices of historical research -- that ``ancient Chinese mathematics was meant to be applied, and those who used it did so to solve practical problems effectively more than two thousand years ago''.