Chinese Arithmetic in the Eyes of a British Missionary and Calculus in the Eyes of a Chinese Mathematician: Collaboration between Alexander Wylie (1815-1887) and LI Shan-Lan (1811-1882)

Abstract

This workshop, which supplements and complements a presentation by the same authors titled ‘On Alexander Wylie’s Jottings on the Science of the Chinese Arithmetic’, will focus on several works of Wylie and Li Shan-lan. Through working together on relevant passages taken from these and related primary sources we try to see how equations were treated in traditional Chinese mathematics in comparison with Western techniques and how nineteenth century Chinese learnt calculus as a newly introduced subject with new symbols and terms to be translated and coined. We would also try to see whether we can relate the study to the modern context, especially in the classroom context.