Li Shanlan (李善蘭; 1810–1884) was a Chinese mathematician and calligrapher of the Qing dynasty. His courtesy name was Renshu (壬叔) and his sobriquet Qiuren (秋紉); he was a native of Haining in Zhejiang. A licentiate, he served as chief instructor in mathematics at the Tongwen Guan in the capital and was granted the office of a langzhong of the Board of Revenue with the third-grade rank of a minister. The years of his birth and death are given variously: 1810, 1811 or 1814 for his birth, and 1882 or 1884 for his death.
Life
He studied the classics under Chen Huan (陳奐) but was especially fond of mathematics, and in his early years he worked through the older Chinese mathematical literature. In the early Xianfeng period he went to Shanghai, where he collaborated with the Englishman Wei Lieya (偉烈亞力) on a translation of the last nine books of Euclid's Elements (歐幾里得幾何原本) and of the Daweiji shiji (代微積拾級, literally "Principles of Analytic Geometry and the Calculus"). In the Tongzhi period he was appointed chief instructor in mathematics at the Tongwen Guan in the capital and received a langzhongship in the Board of Revenue and the third-grade rank of a minister.
His friends included Zeng Guofan (曾國藩), Wang Zhen (汪楨), Xu Youren (徐有壬), Ding Quzhong (丁取忠), Hua Hengfang (華蘅芳), Zhang Wenhu (張文虎), Gu Guanguang (顧觀光), Xu Shou (徐壽), Dai Xu (戴煦) and Qian Xizuo (錢熙祚), as well as Wei Lieya (偉烈亞力), Ai Yuese (艾約瑟) and Wei Lianchen (韋廉臣); his pupils included Yang Zhaoyun (楊兆鋆) and Xiong Fangbo (熊方柏).
Scholarship and Works
His mathematical writings include the collection Zeguxizhai suanxue (則古昔齋算學) in 24 juan, Duoji bilei (垛積比類, 4 juan), Fangyuan chanyou (方圓闡幽, 1 juan), Duishu tanyuan (對數探源, 2 juan), Duishu jianzhui bianfa shi (對數尖錐變法釋, 1 juan), Jishu huiqiu (級數回求, 1 juan), Siyuan jie (四元解, 3 juan), Linde shu jie (麟德術解, 3 juan), Tuoyuan zhengshu jie (橢圜正術解, 2 juan), Huoqi zhenjue (火器真訣, 1 juan) and Kaoshu genfa (考數根法, 1 juan). Other works associated with him include Daishuxue (代數學, 13 juan), Tiantian (談天, 18 juan), Zhongxue (重學, 20 juan), Zhiwuxue (植物學, 8 juan) and Xu jihe yuanben (續幾何原本).
References
- CBDB Li Shanlan (65735)
- 搜韵 李善蘭 (64499)
- Wikidata Li Shanlan (Q715748)