Wang's academic achievements
Calculation, also known as financing, strategy, strategy, etc. , sometimes an operator, is a rod-shaped calculation tool. Generally, a group of small sticks with the same length and thickness are made of bamboo or wood, as well as metal, jade, bone and other materials. When not in use, they are put in a special bag or operating cylinder, and placed on a special board, felt or directly on the table. The method of calculation with "calculation" is called "calculation", and the introduction of calculation into Japan is called "arithmetic". Calculation and preparation originated very early in China. There is a saying in Laozi that "those who are good at counting don't need to count". Now the earliest record is Sun Tzu's calculation, which was gradually replaced by abacus in the Ming Dynasty.
/kloc-At the beginning of the 7th century, the British mathematician Napier invented a calculation method, which was introduced to China in the late Ming Dynasty, also known as "calculation". Mei Wending and Dai Zhen, famous mathematicians in Qing Dynasty, studied this. Dai Zhen called it "strategic calculation". Wang also devoted himself to studying this calculation method introduced to China from the west, and wrote three volumes to introduce the western calculation method to Chinese people. In her book, she supplemented and explained the western calculation methods to make them simple and clear. Napier's multiplication and division method introduced by Wang was easier for readers to understand at that time, but it was more complicated than China's multiplication and division method at that time. Therefore, mathematicians have been using China's calculation method instead of Western calculation. Today's readers regard the calculation methods, multiplication and division at home and abroad as antiques, and adopt the four written operations imported from abroad. This kind of written calculation began to be used in 1903, so the history of China's integration with the world is only 100. Wang did a lot of scientific work in her short life at the age of 29. She is proficient in geography, mathematics, medicine, poetry and painting, as well as meteorology. She is really a versatile and talented young female scientist. Her articles "are all based on facts, convincing people by reasoning and not picking weeds." Of course, Wang's greatest achievement is astronomy. She has written many books about her achievements in astronomy, many of which have been forgotten. What she can see now is only the astronomical calendar experience of volumes 5, 6 and 7 of the Jinling series "De Feng Ge Ji". For example, in the fifth volume, there is a debate on the precession of the day.
The debate of surplus, the debate of stars and Huang Chi's second explanation; The sixth volume includes the theory of the circle of the earth, the theory that the earth is more important than nine days, the theory that the annual rings are set at the center of the earth, and the theory that the five stars of the sun, the moon and the sky turn left with the first, second and third days. Volume 7 includes Eclipse solution and Pythagorean triangle solution. It is said that her works amount to 64 volumes, but now we can only read a few volumes. Wang read widely and persevered. She carefully understands the astronomical data in ancient books and absorbs nutrition. At that time, some almanac said that the difference between the sidereal year and the tropic year began when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty changed the calendar. Wang pointed out that this difference did not originate from the calendar, but only appeared after the discovery of precession in Jin Dynasty. The almanac also said that due to precession, the vernal equinox gradually moved eastward. Wang also pointed out that this is wrong. The vernal equinox caused by precession is westward rather than eastward.
Some people think that precession can be measured by "soil gauge". Wang pointed out that the above rules can only measure the shadow of the sun. How can he measure precession? Precession can only be measured by "Zhongxing method". Some people think that the ancients didn't know the delay of Japanese travel, and "fixing the spirit" began in the calendar of the Tang Dynasty. Wang also criticized that this was wrong. "Ding Qi" began in the Northern Qi Dynasty, followed by Liu Ai in the Sui Dynasty, and it was not until the Tang Dynasty that Li and the monks and their party calculated it more accurately. These criticisms and opinions of Wang are basically in line with the reality of ancient astronomy in China. Her meticulous academic attitude still admires us today.
Like any scientist, Wang's road to science is not smooth sailing. If she wants to engage in science, she must fight against the enemies of science, first of all, feudal superstition and feudal ethics. When she first started studying astronomy and painting poetry, a group of feudal guardians ridiculed that a girl's legitimate occupation was wine, food and sewing, and she should not take literature, history and calligraphy seriously, and even attacked her for engaging in science in order to make a name in history. But Wang's rebellious spirit kept her from giving in. She argued and insisted on opening the way for science. She wrote in a poem: "Who said that children believe that women are not heroes like men and women?" She stubbornly resisted the pressure of feudal ethics and persevered in scientific research. Wang's struggle against feudal ethics is manifested in many of her poems and letters. She is simply engaged in scientific research and calls for the status of women. Historical facts also show that the later the feudal society, the more rulers want to pull astronomy into the mud of superstition, such as using astronomy to engage in "Feng Shui". In the face of these evils, Wang clearly declared in the Preface to the Funeral Sutra and a letter to his father that these things are completely deceptive and will never affect the wealth and dignity of future generations. Others suggested that the so-called "Feng Shui" was preached by ancient sages to scare her. Wang even pointed out that this is the shortcoming of that kind of sage, and we must adopt a critical attitude to learn from the ancients. In a certain sense, Wang's scientific achievements were achieved in the struggle against these fallacies and heresies.