Sacred Mathematics：Japanese Temple Geometry

BetweentheseventeenthandnineteenthcenturiesJapanwastotallyisolatedfromtheWestbyimperialdecree.Duringthattime,auniquebrandofhomegrownmathematicsflourished,onethatwascompletelyuninfluencedbydevelopmentsinWesternmathematics.Peoplefromallwalksoflife-samurai,farmers,andmerchants-inscribedawidevarietyofgeometryproblemsonwoodentabletscalledsangakuandhungtheminBuddhisttemplesandShintoshrinesthroughoutJapan."SacredMathematics"isthefirstbookpublishedintheWesttofullyexaminethistantalizing-andincrediblybeautiful-mathematicaltradition.FukagawaHidetoshiandTonyRothmanpresentforthefirsttimeinEnglishexcerptsfromthetraveldiaryofanineteenth-centuryJapanesemathematician,YamaguchiKanzan,whojourneyedonfootthroughoutJapantocollecttemplegeometryproblems.Theauthorssetthisfascinatingtravelnarrative-andalmosteverythingelsethatisknownabouttemplegeometry-withinthebroaderculturalandhistoricalcontextoftheperiod.Theyexplainthesacredanddevotionalaspectsofsangaku,andrevealhowJapanesefolkmathematiciansdiscoveredmanywell-knowntheoremsindependentlyofmathematiciansintheWest-andinsomecasesmuchearlier.Thebookisgenerouslyillustratedwithphotographsofthetabletsandstunningartworkoftheperiod.Thentherearethegeometryproblemsthemselves,nearlytwohundredofthem,fullyillustratedandrangingfromtheutterlysimpletothevirtuallyimpossible.Solutionsformostareprovided.Auniquebookineveryrespect,"SacredMathematics"demonstrateshowmathematicalthinkingcanvarybycultureyettranscendculturalandgeographicboundaries.