Speaker: Professor Karine Chemla, SPHERE (CNRS & Université Paris Diderot)
Title: What’s new in the mathematics of ancient China?
Abstract:
In recent decades, archaeologists have discovered many ancient Chinese mathematical writings, hitherto unknown. These manuscripts date from the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, and shed a new light on the mathematics of ancient China. The presentation will discuss the nature and content of these new texts. It will also highlight how they complement the documents on the basis of which we wrote, until recently, the history of mathematics in ancient China, and how they change our previous views on the topic. The presentation will conclude with the question of how we can place the mathematical knowledge and practices developed in ancient China into a global history of mathematics.
Parking: If you are traveling by car, please note that parking permits are not required after 5pm.