中国古代数学的社会文化透视

A Social and Cultural Perspective on the Mathematics in the Ancient China

“经世致用”作为中国古代社会文化思想的一个基本特征，奠定了中国古代数学的实用主义基调。由于这种实用主义过于狭隘，致使中国古代数学呈现出逻辑性差、理论结构松散等弱点。由于未与古代科技建立良好的匹配和互动关系，中国古代数学丧失了一个强大的动力源。受中国古代静态农业文明和封建社会文化思想的制约，中国古代数学一直在常量数学的范畴内徘徊。中国古代数学语言始终囿于汉语体系，对数学的形式化十分不利。一种文化只有是开放的和兼收并蓄的，才会有长久不衰的生命力。本文期望从社会文化视角给出“李约瑟难题”

Abstract As a primary characteristic of the Chinese ancient culture, the concept 'taking an active interest in government and application to society' set up the tendency of pragmatism in the ancient mathematics. Being influenced by the traditional agriculture and social culture, the mathematics was limited in the field of microanalysis. The formalization of mathematics could not developed favorably with the system of traditional Chinese Language. The paper tries to give an explanation for the Joseph Needham's Puzzle through the perspective of social culture.