Abstrakt
Twentieth century Chinese mathematicians have generally sought to locate their work in the tradition of modern mathematics rather than in Chinese past. But in the relative international isolation and strongly populist ideology of the early PRC (1949-1976), some tried to link their mathematics to the work and intellectual interests of their ancestors.
In this paper, I analyse the shifting relative value of “tradition” and “antiquity” for situating mathematics in China. In the 1950s and 60s, Hua Loo-Keng (1910-1985), director of the Institute of Mathematics, appealed to the history of Chinese mathematics as a source of confidence for aspiring mathematical youth.
In newspaper articles and popular brochures, he argued that mathematics should rightfully be a Chinese discipline. He also chose topics once treated in ancient and medieval Chinese mathematical texts as entry points into popularising but technical discussions of problems of more recent Western mathematics.
He did not, however, emphasise the character of Chinese mathematics as a distinct tradition, unlike the later mathematician Wu Wen-Tsun.
