Mori Kambei

Mori Kambei is the first noted mathematician in history. So, we do not really know who was evolving mathematics in Japan before him. He was known for books he wrote that delt with arithmetic and uses of an abacus. He started a school in Kyoto where he taught math. At this school he taught three students, who became known as the Three Arithmeticians, Yoshida Misuyoshi, Imamura Chishō, and Takahara Kisshu. Not much is known about the accomplishments of Imamura Chishō and Takahara Kisshu, but there are some things known about Yoshida Misuyoshi through some of his books that he published.

Yoshida Misuyoshi

Yoshida Misuyoshi’s was also known as Yoshida Kōyū. In 1627, Yoshida Misuyoshi published the book “Jinkōki”, which became the the first book that played a key role in establishing mathematical tradition. This book’s primary focus was on Soroban arithmetic. A Soroban is essentially Japan’s version of an abacus. He used a soroban to perform square roo and cube root operations. He later went ot work on enjeneering projects that focused on river and canal development like his work on the Shobutani Tunnel.

Carbidfischer. (2007). Yoshida Soroban.jpg. wikimedia.org. Retrieved September 21, 2023, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yoshida_Soroban.jpg.

Works Cited

• Chemla, K. Carole (2011, June 8). East Asian mathematics. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/East-Asian-mathematics • Sanderson, J., & Fukuda, N. (2021, March 24). A mathematician’s journey in Edo Japan. EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/497298 • • Redpandaoverlord. (2015, April 12). A peek into Japanese mathematics. 3010tangents. https://3010tangents.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/a-peek-into-japanese-mathematics/ • •