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Presentation
SAW (MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES IN THE ANCIENT WORLD):
New Theoretical Approaches to the Sources and Socio-Political Issues of the Present Day
European Research Council Advanced Grant 2010: Principal Investigator : Karine CHEMLA, co-directors: Agathe KELLER & Christine PROUST
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ATTENTION You will find scientific activities specific to the project and team members on the website SAW on the plateform Hypotheses
The ambition of SAW is to develop new theoretical approaches to the history of ancient mathematics, in order to highlight a variety of practices in the fields that today too often are presented as homogeneous whole, that is, “Mesopotamian mathematics”, “Chinese mathematics”, and “Indian mathematics”. To this end, SAW intends to concentrate on the mathematical sources related to two activities: astral sciences and state administrations in charge of financial matters. The goal is to create resources that would promote a new historical representation of mathematics.
The wider impact of the project is to define an alternative to the widespread vision of mathematics. The outcome of the research will be made available to school teachers and thus will contribute to bridge the gap between the young people and mathematical sciences.
Seminars : Scientific background
ACTIVITIES:
SAW, SAW with SPHERE seminars, SAW talks in symposia}
Conferences, Workshops & Seminars SAW, mainly at the University Paris 7-Paris Diderot
– 2016-2015
- Final Conference of the ERC project SAW, October 24-28, 2016
- Workshop "Writing histories of ancient mathematics – Reflecting on past practices and opening the future", September 6-13-20-27 & October 4-11-18, 2016
- Conference "Ritual, Mathematics and Astral sciences", June 7-8, 2016
- Conference "Mistakes and the study of manuscripts", co-organised with the "Center for the Study of Manuscript Cultures" (CSMC, University of Hamburg), May 2-3, 2016
- Seminar "Exploring 19th and 20th centuries historiographies of mathematics in the ancient world"
- Seminar Theoretical approaches to uses of the concepts of scientific “practice” and “culture” in History and Philosophy of Science
– 2015-2014 - Workshop on Zhangjiashan tomb 247 2015, November 25, 2015
- Conference on "History of Ancient Mathematics and Astronomy: 2015", August 23-29, 2015
- Conference "Gnomons and Sundials through the Ages": 2015", Institut de France, Académie des sciences, Paris, June 26, 2015
- Conference "Mathematical Practices in relation to the Astral Sciences", March 26-27-28 and 30-31, 2015
- Conference "Scholars and Scholarship in Late Babylonian Uruk", March 23–24, 2015
- Exploratory Workshop "Astral sciences, Mathematics and Rituals", March 19-20, 2015
- Three-month Workshop "Mathematical practices in the context of the astral sciences", January 5–March 13, 2015
- Meeting "How do writings in the astral sciences document mathematical practices and practitioners", 15 janvier, 5 et 19 février 2015
- workshop "Shaping the sciences of the ancient world", December 1st to 4, 2014
- Seminar "Exploring 19th and 20th centuries historiographies of mathematics in the ancient world"
- Seminar "Mathematical practices in the context of the astral sciences"
– 2014-2013 - Workshop on the "Treatises of the Book of Sui, November 22-23, 2013
– 2013-2012 - Workshop "Parts and Pieces: an Exploration of the Textuality of Scientific Writings", July 3-4, 2013
- Conference "Shaping the sciences of the ancient world", June 17 to 21, 2013
- Conference "Cultures of computation and quantification in the ancient world">, March 25 to 29, 2013
- Three-month Workshop "Cultures of Computation and Quantification" January 11-18-23-29, February 1-8-15-22, March 1st-8-15-20, 2013
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Workshops on "Li Chunfeng and on the Treatises in the official histories written in Tang China", November 28-29 & December 1st, 2012
- Seminar “ History of Mathematics, History of Economic and Financial Practices”
– 2012-2011
- Workshop "Using calendars and almanacs in Asia (India, China, Japan)", December 9, 2011
- Seminar “ History of Mathematics, History of Economic and Financial Practices”
Seminars SPHERE 2016–2011
Some sessions of the SPHERE seminars are conceived, organized and supported in the framework of the SAW project
- Seminar "History of Science, History of Text (since 2012, SAW has totally organized this seminar)
- Seminar "Reading Mathematical Texts" (since 2012, SAW has totally organized this seminar)
- Seminar "Rethinking Practices and Cultures in the History of Science" (since 2012, SAW has totally organized this seminar)
- Seminar "History and Philosophy of Mathematics"
Symposia
The SAW group participates and organizes symposia in the context of international meetings, among them the History of Science Society (HSS), the International Congress of History of Science, Technology and Medicine (ICHSTM), the Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (RAI) and the European Association of Chinese Studies (EACS).
Details of talks of members of SAW Project here.
- The 7th International Conference of the European Society for the History of Science (ESHS). Prague, September 22-25, 2016
- The 7th European Congress of Mathematics, Plenary Talks. Berlin, July 18-22, 2016
- The International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science (HOPOS), Plenary session I, Minneapolis, USA, June 22-25, 2016
- The 2015 History of Science Society Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Symposium. California, November 21-22, 2015
- The 61st Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale. Math & Realia – Workshop on mathematical practices in various sectors of Mesopotamian society. Bern, Switzerland, June 26, 2015
- The 6th International Conference of the European Society for the History of Science. Symposium “Rethinking modes of teaching and transmitting knowledge: a historical perspective in east and west”, Lisboa, Portugal, September 4-6, 2014
- The 24th International Congress of History of Science, Technology and Medicine. The symposium on “Mathematical facets of measurement, measuring units,measured quantities and their uses". The symposium on “Knowledge at work across cultural boundaries” included three talks by SAW’s members. Manchester, July 2013
- The 19th Biennial Conference of the European Association of Chinese Studies (EACS),
The special panel "Meanings and uses of measuring units in pre-modern China", Paris, September 4-8, 2012
