初期和算書における金属と水の密度の値 : その伝承と改善

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A table of density of substances, such as gold, silver, copper and so on, was given in Sonshi Sankei (about 3rd century), a book on mathematics in ancient China. The authors examined the values of density of these substances given in the book, and found that those values were highly precise except silver and "gyoku" a gem. Although Mitsuyoshi Yoshida gave a density list of several substances in the 2nd and the late editions of his Jinko-ki (1st ed. in 1627), that list was the one quoted from the above-mentioned Sonshi Sankei. Between the systems of weight and measures in China in the third century and in Japan in the 17th century, even the units of the same demonination are not always equal in actual values of weight or sizes. Especially the density of silver given in Jinko-ki is found to be about two times larger than the correct value of silver. Tomoaki Imamura in his Jyugai-roku rectified the values in Jinko-ki decreasing by five sixth times, but the rectified value of silver was much larger than the correct one. Masashige Yamada found important error on the density of silver in Jinko-ki, and criticized Yoshida's Jinko-ki in his Kaizan-ki, but Yamada himself did not suggest the value of density of silver. Although many other books of mathematics in Japan in the mid-seventeenth century had given density tables of several substances, many of these values followed the traditional ones of density, and then especially as to the density of silver, the extravagant value prevailed. Some of the Japanese mathematicians proposed values of density of other substances, especially the value of density of water was very accurate. Mathematicians in the mid-seventeenth century in Japan were willing to experiment and measure for themselves the density of several substances.
日本科学史学会の論文
1981-02-10

初期和算書における金属と水の密度の値 : その伝承と改善

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