# Solving Sangaku With Traditional Techniques

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how traditional Japanese mathematical techniques, specifically tenzan jutsu, can be used to solve historical sangaku geometry problems, illustrating the enduring relevance of these methods.

## Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of a 19th-century sangaku problem and a traditional Japanese algebraic method, showcasing their practical application.

## Key findings

- Traditional techniques effectively solve historical sangaku problems.
- Comparison reveals the mathematical depth of Japanese methods.
- Highlights the cultural significance of sangaku and Japanese mathematics.

## Abstract

Between 17th and 19th centuries, mathematically orientated votive tablets appeared in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples all over Japan. Known as sangaku, they contained problems of a largely geometrical nature. In the 17th century, the Japanese mathematician Seki Takakazu developed a form of algebra known as tenzan jutsu. I compare one mathematical problem from the 1810 Japanese text Sanp\=o Tenzan Shinan solved using tenzan jutsu to a similar problem found on the Kijimadaira Tenman-g\=u shrine sangaku to show how sangaku problems can be solved using the traditional Japanese methods.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1701.08815