"Lengths, Widths, Surfaces"
A Portrait Of Old Babylonian Algebra And Its Kin
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Author
Publication
2010-12-06 - Springer
Word Count
120,000 words, Guess
Page Count
480 pages
Physical Format
Paperback
Identifiers
- Open LibraryOL28051696M
- ISBN-139781441929457
- ISBN-101441929452
Classifications
- LCCQA21-27
Description
In this examination of the Babylonian cuneiform "algebra" texts, based on a detailed investigation of the terminology and discursive organization of the texts, Jens Høyrup proposes that the traditional interpretation must be rejected. The texts turn out to speak not of pure numbers, but of the dimensions and areas of rectangles and other measurable geometrical magnitudes, often serving as representatives of other magnitudes (prices, workdays, etc...), much as pure numbers represent concrete magnitudes in modern applied algebra. Moreover, the geometrical procedures are seen to be reasoned to the same extent as the solutions of modern equation algebra, though not built on any explicit deductive structure.
Subjects
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