量天测地:中国勾股术产生的社会背景及其文化意义

Measurement of the Heaven and the Earth: the Social Background and Cultural Significance of Chinese Gougu Rule

从矩、圭表两种古代测量工具出发,考察了中国古代勾股术产生的社会背景,论述量天测地与圭表测影在古代中国的政治和文化意义,认为国家管理与民用生活为中国勾股术的产生与发展提供了丰厚的社会和文化土壤。对于中国古代社会来说,勾股术不仅仅是一条数学定理,还是可以用于生产、生活、国家管理等方面的重要计算法则,从而衍生出完整而严谨的中国古代勾股理论体系。这也使得中国古代的勾股术具有与其他文明不同的社会特点与文化涵义。

Starting from Ju and gnomon, two measuring instruments in ancient China, this paper examines the social background of ancient Chinese Gougu rule, discusses the political and cultural significance of the practice of measuring the heaven and the earth and measuring the shadow length of gnomon in ancient China, and holds the idea that national administration and civilian life provide rich social and cultural soil for the emergence and development of Chinese Gougu rule. In ancient Chinese society, Gougu rule is not only a mathematical theorem, but also an important computational rule that can be applied in production, living and national administration, etc., and thus complete ancient Chinese Gougu theory system is derived. In this way, the social characteristics and cultural connotations of ancient Chinese Gougu rule are different from those of other cultures.