Lengths, Widths, Surfaces: A Portrait of Old Babylonian Algebra and Its Kin

by Jens Hoyrup and Jens Høyrup

Book Overview

In this examination of the Babylonian cuneiform "algebra" texts, based on a detailed investigation of the terminology and discursive organization of the texts, Jens H yrup 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...),...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0387953035
• ISBN13: 9780387953038
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Springer
• Length: 462 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.2"