Jigu suanjing

The Jigu suanjing (Continuation of Ancient Mathematics) is a work by the Chinese mathematician Wang Xiaotong, who flourished in the early 7th century CE. This book, completed around 630 CE, primarily deals with problems involving cubic and biquadratic equations.1

Wang Xiaotong's work is notable for its application of mathematics to practical problems, such as calculating the volume of polyhedrons and their parts. Thirteen of the book's problems involve finding dimensions based on given volumes of polyhedral shapes. To solve these, Wang utilized formulas for the volume of dikes with varying cross-sections. Other problems in the Jigu suanjing concern right-angled triangles. The Jigu suanjing was part of a larger collection known as the Ten Classics of Mathematics, which served as a foundational text for mathematical education in China.12