The research content of mathematical history is the research methodology of mathematical history; General history of mathematics history; History of mathematics; The history of mathematics in different countries, nationalities and regions and its comparison; Mathematical chronology in different periods; Biography of mathematicians; The development history of mathematical ideas, concepts and methods; The relationship between the development of mathematics and other scientific and social phenomena; History of mathematics education; Philology of the history of mathematics.
The task of studying the history of mathematics is to find out the basic historical facts in the development of mathematics, reproduce its original features, and make scientific and reasonable explanations, explanations and evaluations on mathematical achievements, theoretical systems and development models through these historical phenomena, so as to explore the laws and cultural essence of the development of mathematical science.
According to the research scope, it can be divided into internal history and external history. Internal history: study the history of mathematics development from the internal reasons of mathematics (including the relationship with other natural sciences); External history: from external social reasons (including political, economic, philosophical and other reasons) to study the relationship between mathematics development and other social factors.
The history of mathematical history research;
China is famous for its long history and tradition. The "preparation" section of the official history of past dynasties often discusses the role and history of mathematics. For example, the earlier History of Han Law said that mathematics is "deducing calendars, generating laws, making tools, planning circles, measuring squares, measuring weights and measures, discovering hidden meanings, grasping abstruse things and doing everything possible".
For example, Liu Hui's Preface to Nine Chapters of Arithmetic (263) tells the history of the formation of Nine Chapters of Arithmetic; Wang Xiaotong once evaluated the mathematical work of Liu Hui, Zu Chongzhi and others in "Counting Tables in Upper Jicoo"; Zu Ti's preface to the meeting of Siyuan tells the development history from Tianyuan to Siyuan.
From the end of 19, someone (,he,) and so on. ) has published articles on the history of Chinese mathematics in foreign languages. At the beginning of 20th century, Japanese Kazuo Sanshi wrote The Development of Mathematics between China and China. In 1950s, Needham made a comprehensive introduction to the history of Chinese mathematics in his magnum opus History of Science and Technology in (Volume III).