Contents
Zu Chongzhi
Calculating an exceptionally accurate value of pi in fifth-century China.
Approximation of pi · Daming calendar
- Born
- 429
- Birthplace
- Jiankang, China
- Died
- c. 500
More people
Zu Chongzhi
Chinese mathematician and astronomer who combined calculation, calendar reform and engineering. Much of his mathematical writing is lost, so later accounts preserve the results more clearly than the methods.
Early life
A scientific family
His father and grandfather served at court; mathematics and astronomy formed part of the family’s expertise.
Earlier mathematics
Studied the tradition represented by Liu Hui’s commentary on the Nine Chapters.
Career
- 450s–460s
Court service
Combined official appointments with mathematical and astronomical research.
- 462
Calendar proposal
Submitted a more accurate calendar based on observations and calculations.
- Later life
Family collaboration
Worked with his son Zu Geng on mathematical problems.
Contributions
Approximation of pi
Placed pi between 3.1415926 and 3.1415927 and gave the fraction 355/113.
Daming calendar
Proposed a revised system connecting solar years and lunar months.
Zhui Shu
A sophisticated mathematical treatise that later entered the classical curriculum but has not survived.
Beyond mathematics
Engineering interests
Historical accounts also credit him with mechanical devices and work on water-powered machinery.
Incomplete record
Even his death year varies between accounts, usually 500 or 501.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and research ↗Photo: Later sculptural depiction of Zu Chongzhi; 三猎. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
