1st Edition
The Foundations of Celestial Reckoning Three Ancient Chinese Astronomical Systems
Chapter 1. General Introduction
A. The world of early imperial China
B. What was a li 曆, and what did it do?
C. How did a li work?
D. Dates
E. How was a li calculated?
F. How were the data of a li determined?
G. A note on translating computational procedures
H. Arrangement of the text
I. Works consulted
Chapter 2. The Triple Concordance astronomical system: San tong li 三統曆
I. Introduction
A. An astronomical system and its creator
B. Structure of the system
C. Organisation of the text
D. Text used
II. Text, translation and comments
A. Concordance constants
B. Sequence Constants
C. The Five Pacers
D. Concordance Workings
E. Sequence Workings
F. Year Workings
G. [The Twelve Stations]
H. The 28 Lodges
I. [The Nine Roads]
J. [Concordances and Rule Heads]
K. APPENDIX 1: Intercalations in theory and practice
Chapter 3. The Han Quarter Remainder system: Han si fen li 漢四分曆
I. Introduction
A. The system and its background
B. Authorship of the text
C. Structure of the system
D. Organisation of the text
E. Methods of calculation
F. Text used
II. Text, translation and comments
A. Methods for [astronomical] systems
B. Basic solar and lunar constants
C. [Lunar eclipse constants]
D. Procedures for sun and moon
E. Planetary constants
F. Planetary Procedures
G. Planetary Motions
H. [Months, qi and lodges]
I. [The solar table]
J. The system origin
K. Discussion
Chapter 4. The Uranic Manifestation astronomical system: Qian xiang li乾象曆
I. Introduction
A. Liu Hong and his work
Biography
Christopher Cullen is Emeritus Director of the Needham Research Institute, Emeritus Fellow of Darwin College, and Emeritus Honorary Professor of the University of Cambridge. He is editor of the Needham Research Institute Series (Routledge).
Christopher Cullen's expert translations and commentaries provide long-needed access to three foundational texts of Chinese astronomy, and an opening to a much wider understanding of an ancient scientific tradition comparable in richness and sophistication to that of the Mesopotamians and Greeks.
- Alexander Jones, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, USA
"This book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of researching on Chinese systems. I highly recommend this important and well-written book for historians of science and all who are interested in Chinese mathematical astronomy."
- Tang Quan, Xianyang Normal University, Journal for the History of Astronomy, August 2017
"Cullen has provided another excellent contribution toward making Chinese astronomical texts available to a wider audience and giving the history of Chinese mathematical astronomy its well-deserved place within the general history of non-Western and premodern astronomy."
- Benno van Dalen, Isis journal, March 2018
"This volume will be a fundamental for the study of the history of ancient astronomy, not only Chinese, but also Arabic and, because of the transmission of Arabic astronomy to Byzantium in the late period Byzantine."
- Touwaide, Byzantinische Zeitschrift issue 110 (= 2017/4).
