罗吉尔·培根的数学思想及其实践

Roger Bacon's Mathematical Thought and Practice

罗吉尔·培根是13世纪英国杰出的学者,其最重要的学术成就是《大著作》,其中《数学》部分集中体现了他的数学思想及其实践。培根的数学思想是中世纪盛期拉丁西方学界广泛吸收古典与阿拉伯科学文化所孕育出的一种创新性思想。培根深深认识到了数学作为其他学科“门与钥匙”的作用和确定性,并将其数学思想付诸实践,包括论证“地球说”、计算地球赤道周长、修正历法、推导出开普勒第一定律。培根的数学思想和实践体现了中世纪盛期西方自然科学发展的新方向,也预示着近代西方科学和思想发展的方向。

Roger Bacon is a distinguished scholar in England in the 13th century.His most significant academic achievement is Opus Majus,where“Mathematica”section reflects the Bacon's mathematical thought and practice.Bacon's mathematical thought was influenced by the the social politics and ideological culture of the time.Bacon took mathematics as“the door and the key”of other science,and it has only certainty.Bacon used the mathematical thought to guide the practice of mathematics,as using geometrical methods to demonstrate“the Spherical Earth”,calculating the circumference of the Earth's equator,revising calendar,and deducing Kepler's law number one.Bacon's mathematical thought and practice reflects new trend of development in medieaval natural science,also indicates the direction of the development of modern science and ideology.