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Liu Hong

Quick Info

Born
129
Lo-yang,(now Luoyang), China
Died
210
China
Summary
Liu Hong was a Chinese astronomer who was involved in calendar reform.

Biography

Liu Hong was of noble birth, descended from the Imperial family of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This dynasty was established in 25 AD after the brief 15 year reign of Wang Mang's Hsin dynasty. The capital was Lo-yang where a large ornate palace was built. In Encyclopaedia Britannica the aims and achievements of the Han rulers are described:-
... the Han came to require cultural accomplishment from their public servants, making mastery of classical texts a condition of employment. The title list of the enormous imperial library is China's first bibliography. Its text included works on practical matters such as mathematics and medicine, as well as treatises on philosophy and religion and the arts. Advancement in science and technology was also sought by the rulers, and the Han invented paper, used water clocks and sundials, and developed a seismograph. Calendars were published frequently during the period.
Liu Hong became interested in astronomy as a young boy. He was appointed to the Imperial Observatory in 160 and was involved in making astronomical observations. Two works which he wrote, namely the Qi Yao Shu (The Art of Seven Planets) and a new version entitled the Ba Yuan Shu (The Art of Eight Elements) have been lost so we know little of their contents. We do know that Liu presented these works to the Emperor in 174 or 175, and we also know that they were based on Buddhist beliefs.

Perhaps the greatest of Liu's achievements was his work which led to a new calendar. This calendar was published in 187 and described the motion of the moon far more accurately than any previous Chinese calendar. His measurements of the length of the shadow of a pole at the summer and at the winter solstices give results which are accurate to within 1% of their true value.
Other Mathematicians born in China

References (show)

  1. F Ye, The History of the Eastern Han Dynasty (Chinese) 12 (Beijing, 1965).
  2. F Xuanlin, The History of Jin Dynasty (Chinese) 17 (Beijing, 1974).
  3. C Meidong, The Life, Thinking and Astronomical Achievements of Liu Hong, Studies in the History of Natural Sciences 5 (2) (1986), 129 -142.
Written by J J O'Connor and E F Robertson
Last Update December 2003