Lengths, Widths, Surfaces [Hardcover]

Jens Høyrup (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387953035 | ISBN-13: 978-0387953038 | Publication Date: January 2, 2002 | Edition: 1

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

J. Høyrup

Lengths, Widths, Surfaces

A Portrait of Old Babylonian Algebra and its Kin

"A valuable addition to the literature of the ancient Babylonians, the subsequent Seleucid mathematics and their relations with other (later) mathematics. Drawing on studies of the culture in which the texts were developed, it contains extensive 'conformal translations' of the most important texts, as well as analyses of them and interpretations of the pictures that emerge."—THE AUSTRALIAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY

"Høyrup has drawn together and updated the key insights of his intellectual journey of the past 15 years and presented them in one unified, handsomely produced volume. … it contains a wealth of information and can be minded by the interested reader for years to come. It is a worthy testament to a career of deep scholarship." (Duncan J. Melville, Historia Mathematica, Vol. 33, 2006)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (January 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387953035
• ISBN-13: 978-0387953038
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,592,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable work, March 31, 2004

By 

Dan Moody (Hampden, Maine USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lengths, Widths, Surfaces (Hardcover)

In research for my own book to be, this source is the newest, most up to date, and comprehensive I have found covering Babylonian Mathematics. Otto Neugebauer's "The Exact Sciences in Antiquity" was monumental when published in the 1950s. This work of Hoyrup continues the analysis of some of the same and related sources and updates us with what has been learned in the last 50 years. Hoyrup has a broader survey of tablets that lend support to his new interpretations. This provides a source in english for many tablets that were previously only available in other languages. It also can serve as a list of original sources so that one could easily locate tablets for a specialized presentation.

I am excited about this work and hope that its contents can "trickle down" to the level of common understanding. The modern world will see that Babylonians did not lack in their analytic abilities.