This chapter provides a briefing on the Chinese tradition of mathematical astronomy that will aid in understanding the rest of the book. It is not a general survey, but deals concisely with topics pertinent to the Yuan reform. It begins with what can be said in general about the social, political, and institutional matrices of astronomy. It then reviews the basic tools, observational and mathematical, that astronomers used. Finally, it introduces a few important points of comparison between the technical practices of China, Europe, and the Muslim world.
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(2009). Orientation. In: Granting the Seasons. Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78956-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78956-9_2
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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