从古代圆周率看人类早期数学思维的发展

Development of early human mathematic thinking from the perspective of ancient π

圆周率π所拥有的丰富数学内涵,使它在数学发展过程中扮演着重要的角色。在古代世界各主要文明古国,人们很早就把对圆由田亩测量得到的朴素感性认识上升到抽象的理性认识,从圆的精确定义到明确圆周率的概念再到对圆周率的计算,表明人类早期已经从对具体圆形物体的感知上升到对抽象圆进行思考,也标志着人类数学思维早在2100年前就已经达到了抽象思维的高度。正是这种思维方式促进了数学的发展,从而促进了人类文明的进步。

With rich mathematic connotation,π plays an important role in the process of mathematical development.In major ancient civilizations,people have changed their perceptual knowledge of circle gained from field measurement into abstract rational knowledge.Gradually knowing the precise definition of circle,the clear concept of π and the calculation of π suggests that human perception of the specific circular objects rose to the thinking of abstract circle long time ago,which also marks that the human mathematical thinking reached the height of the abstract thinking as early as 2100 years ago.It is this thinking method that promotes the development of mathematics and the progress of human civilization.