I introduce books on the Pre-modern japanese mathematics. Unfortunately,
there are few books on it in English. Probably
Mikami Yoshio, "Mathematics in China Japan", 1913, reprinted 1961
by Chelsea Pub.Co.(New York)
or
D.Y.Smith and Mimikami Yoshio, "A History of Japanese Mathematics,
Open Court Pub. Co., Chicago, 1914
are the only two books quoted by foreign authors, but they are old-
fashioned. As studies in Japanese mathematics are becoming popular in
Japan again, a new book on it will be published in the near future. In
R.Cooke, " The History of Mathematics", Wiley-interscience, 1997,
chapter 11 Korea and Japan (pp.245--260)
you can see a brief explanation about determinants developed by Seki
Takakazu (?--11708) and a power series by Takebe Katahiro (1664--1739)
that represents the length of a minute arc.
H.Fukagawa and D.Pedoe, "Japanese Temple Geometry Problems",
Winnipeg, Canada, 1989
collects many mathematical (Votive) plates in Japan and you can see
problems and answers for them in it. A custom of dedicating a
mathematical plate to a shrine is flourishing but it is not show the
essence and nature of Japanese mathematics.
I am studying history of Pre-modern Japanese mathematics, especially
Calculus by Seki, Takebe, and so on.
_________________________________________________
Prof. Ogawa Tsukane
Faculty of Environmental and Information Sciences
Yokkaichi University, 1200 Kayo Yokkaichi-shi Mie 512-8512, JAPAN