A Remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts - Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection: Cuneiform Texts I

The sub-collection of mathematical cuneiform texts in the Schøyen Collection makes a substantial addition to the known corpus of such texts. It contains 121 texts, not counting 151 multiplication tables and 53 small weight stones. According to the catalog at the end of the Index of Subjects below, where those 121 mathematical texts are ordered by content, nearly all known kinds, and some new kinds, of mathematical cun- form texts are represented in the collection. Therefore it has been possible to organize the present work as a broad general account of Mesopotamian mathematics, illustrated mainly by texts from the Schøyen Collection, but occasionally also by previously published texts. The general disposition of the book is borrowed from my own concise but comprehensive survey of Mesopotamian mathematics in the article on "Mathematics" in Reallexikon der Assyriologie, vol. 7 (1990). My ambition has been to make the account easily accessible to all kinds of readers, yet still as detailed and exhaustive as possible. For that purpose, there is, for instance, an introductory Chapter 0 on "how to get a b- ter understanding of mathematical cuneiform texts". The chapter begins with a discussion of the danger of unintentional anachronisms in translations of pre-Greek mathematical texts, and continues with a presentation of the kind of "conform" transliterations, translations, and interpretations, true to the original, that will be used throughout the book in discussions of individual texts.

List of contents

Acknowledgements.- Introduction.- Documentation of Provenance.- Abbreviations.- How to Get a Better Understanding of Mathematical Cuneiform Texts.- Old Babylonian Arithmetical Hand Tablets.- Old Babylonian Arithmetical Table Texts.- Old Babylonian Metrological Table Texts.- Mesopotamian Weight Stones.- Neo-Sumerian Field Maps (Ur III).- An Old Sumerian Metro-Mathematical Table Text (Early Dynastic IIIa).- Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Practical Mathematics.- Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Geometric Exercises.- The Beginning and the End of the Sumerian King List.- Three Old Babylonian Mathematical Problem Texts from Uruk.- Three Problem Texts Not Belonging to Any Known Group of Texts.- App. 1. Subtractive Notations for Numbers in Mathematical Cuneiform Texts.- App. 2. The Old Babylonian Combined Multiplication Table.- App. 3. An Old Babylonian Combined Arithmetical Algorithm.- App. 4. Cuneiform Systems of Notations for Numbers and Measures.- App. 5. Old Babylonian Complete Metrological Tables.- App. 6. Metro-Mathematical Cuneiform Texts from the Third Millennium BC.- App. 7. CUNES 50-08-001. A Combined Metro-Mathematical Table Text (ED IIIb).- App. 8. Plimpton 322, a Table of Parameters for igi-igi.bi Problems.- App. 9. Many-Place Squares of Squares in Late Babylonian Mathematical Texts.- App. 10. Color Photos of Selected Texts.- Vocabulary for the MS Texts.- Index of Subjects.- Index of Texts.- References.

Summary

The sub-collection of mathematical cuneiform texts in the Schøyen Collection makes a substantial addition to the known corpus of such texts. It contains 121 texts, not counting 151 multiplication tables and 53 small weight stones. According to the catalog at the end of the Index of Subjects below, where those 121 mathematical texts are ordered by content, nearly all known kinds, and some new kinds, of mathematical cun- form texts are represented in the collection. Therefore it has been possible to organize the present work as a broad general account of Mesopotamian mathematics, illustrated mainly by texts from the Schøyen Collection, but occasionally also by previously published texts. The general disposition of the book is borrowed from my own concise but comprehensive survey of Mesopotamian mathematics in the article on “Mathematics” in Reallexikon der Assyriologie, vol. 7 (1990). My ambition has been to make the account easily accessible to all kinds of readers, yet still as detailed and exhaustive as possible. For that purpose, there is, for instance, an introductory Chapter 0 on “how to get a b- ter understanding of mathematical cuneiform texts”. The chapter begins with a discussion of the danger of unintentional anachronisms in translations of pre-Greek mathematical texts, and continues with a presentation of the kind of “conform” transliterations, translations, and interpretations, true to the original, that will be used throughout the book in discussions of individual texts.

Additional text

From the reviews:

"This fascinating book presents 121 unpublished mathematical clay tablets from the Norwegian Schøyen Collection … . The book is divided into 12 chapters, 10 appendices, a vocabulary for MS texts, an index of subjects … and a large list of references. … Many pictures, drawings and coloured photos of the most interesting tablets are also included. … opens up Babylonian mathematics to a new generation of mathematicians, historians of science and mathematics, teachers and students. It can therefore be recommended to a wide audience." (European Mathematical Society Newsletter, June, 2008)

"We welcome the book under review, a study of the Martin Schøyen collection … . this collection include exemplars of virtually every known type of mathematical tablet, as well as some types of tablets that have never been published. … Friberg’s book will be invaluable for anyone studying Mesopotamian mathematics, as it provides so many more examples of mathematical ideas that were used by the scribes. … Any good library in the history of mathematics should possess copies … ." (Victor J. Katz, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2008 h)

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From the reviews:

"This fascinating book presents 121 unpublished mathematical clay tablets from the Norwegian Schøyen Collection ... . The book is divided into 12 chapters, 10 appendices, a vocabulary for MS texts, an index of subjects ... and a large list of references. ... Many pictures, drawings and coloured photos of the most interesting tablets are also included. ... opens up Babylonian mathematics to a new generation of mathematicians, historians of science and mathematics, teachers and students. It can therefore be recommended to a wide audience." (European Mathematical Society Newsletter, June, 2008)
"We welcome the book under review, a study of the Martin Schøyen collection ... . this collection include exemplars of virtually every known type of mathematical tablet, as well as some types of tablets that have never been published. ... Friberg's book will be invaluable for anyone studying Mesopotamian mathematics, as it provides so many more examples of mathematical ideas that were used by the scribes. ... Any good library in the history of mathematics should possess copies ... ." (Victor J. Katz, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2008 h)

Product details

• Authors: Joran Friberg, Jöran Friberg
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 23.02.2011
• EAN: 9780387345437
• ISBN: 978-0-387-34543-7
• No. of pages: 536
• Dimensions: 218 mm x 287 mm x 36 mm
• Weight: 1540 g
• Illustrations: XX, 536 p. 259 illus.
• Series: Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences; Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Mathematics > General, dictionaries; B, History, Mathematics, Mathematics and Statistics, History of Mathematical Sciences, Mathematica;arithmetic;equation;geometry;mathematics