A Remarkable Collection of Babylonian Mathematical Texts

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XX

   PDF

2. How to Get a Better Understanding of Mathematical Cuneiform Texts

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 1-11

3. Old Babylonian Arithmetical Hand Tablets

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 13-44

4. Old Babylonian Arithmetical Table Texts

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 45-99

5. Old Babylonian Metrological Table Texts

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 101-126

6. Mesopotamian Weight Stones

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 127-136

7. Neo-Sumerian Field Plan Texts (Ur III)

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 137-146

8. An Old Sumerian Metro-Mathematical Table Text (Early Dynastic IIIa)

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 147-153

9. Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Practical Mathematics

   • Jöran Friberg

   Pages 155-187

10. Old Babylonian Hand Tablets with Geometric Exercises

    • Jöran Friberg

    Pages 189-229

11. The Beginning and the End of the Sumerian King List

    • Jöran Friberg

    Pages 231-243

12. Three Old Babylonian Mathematical Problem Texts from Uruk

    • Jöran Friberg

    Pages 245-294

13. Three Problem Texts Not Belonging to Any Known Group of Texts

    • Jöran Friberg

    Pages 295-353

14. Back Matter

    Pages 503-533

    PDF

The sub-collection of mathematical cuneiform texts in the Schøyen Collection makes a substantial addition to the known corpus of such texts. It contains 121 texts, not counting 151 multiplication tables and 53 small weight stones. According to the catalog at the end of the Index of Subjects below, where those 121 mathematical texts are ordered by content, nearly all known kinds, and some new kinds, of mathematical cun- form texts are represented in the collection. Therefore it has been possible to organize the present work as a broad general account of Mesopotamian mathematics, illustrated mainly by texts from the Schøyen Collection, but occasionally also by previously published texts. The general disposition of the book is borrowed from my own concise but comprehensive survey of Mesopotamian mathematics in the article on “Mathematics” in Reallexikon der Assyriologie, vol. 7 (1990). My ambition has been to make the account easily accessible to all kinds of readers, yet still as detailed and exhaustive as possible. For that purpose, there is, for instance, an introductory Chapter 0 on “how to get a b- ter understanding of mathematical cuneiform texts”. The chapter begins with a discussion of the danger of unintentional anachronisms in translations of pre-Greek mathematical texts, and continues with a presentation of the kind of “conform” transliterations, translations, and interpretations, true to the original, that will be used throughout the book in discussions of individual texts.

• Mathematica
• arithmetic
• equation
• geometry
• mathematics

From the reviews:

"This fascinating book presents 121 unpublished mathematical clay tablets from the Norwegian Schøyen Collection … . The book is divided into 12 chapters, 10 appendices, a vocabulary for MS texts, an index of subjects … and a large list of references. … Many pictures, drawings and coloured photos of the most interesting tablets are also included. … opens up Babylonian mathematics to a new generation of mathematicians, historians of science and mathematics, teachers and students. It can therefore be recommended to a wide audience." (European Mathematical Society Newsletter, June, 2008)

"We welcome the book under review, a study of the Martin Schøyen collection … . this collection include exemplars of virtually every known type of mathematical tablet, as well as some types of tablets that have never been published. … Friberg’s book will be invaluable for anyone studying Mesopotamian mathematics, as it provides so many more examples of mathematical ideas that were used by the scribes. … Any good library in the history of mathematics should possess copies … ." (Victor J. Katz, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2008 h)

• Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

  Jöran Friberg

Policies and ethics