Arithmetics of Anania Shirakatsi, a well - known scholar of the 7th century, stands out among the works on exact sciences.
It contains tables of the four arithmetical operations and is the oldest preserved complete manuscript on arithmetics. Such works of Shirakatsi, as Cosmography, On the signs of the Zodiac, On the clouds and atmospheric signs, On the movemenr of the Sun, On the meteorological phenomena, On the Milky Way, etc., are also preserved.
Shirakatsi mentions the principles of chronology of the Egyptians, Jews, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans and Ethiopians, he speaks of the planetary motion and periodicity of lunar and solar eclipses. Accepting the roundness of the Earth, Shirakatsi expresses the opinion, that the Sun illuminates both spheres of the Earth at different times and when it is night on one half, it is day on the other. He considers the Milky Way 'a mass of densely distributed and faintly luminous stars'. Shirakatsi agrees with those scientists, who believed that 'the moon has no natural light and reflects the light of the Sun'. He explains the solar eclipse as the result of the Moon's position between the Sun and the Earth. Shirakatsi gives interesting explanation to the rain, snow, hail, thunder, wind, earthquake and other natural phenomena.
Shirakatsi has also written a number of works on the calendar, measurement, geography, history. In his book 'Weights and measures' together with the Armenian system of weights and measures the corresponding Greek, Jewish, Assyrian and Persian systems are given. It gives an opportunity to elucidate the sizes of the Eratosthenes' stadium, an issue in the world science.
Among the mathematical works of the 11th century author Hovhannes Sarkavag Polygonal Numbers is of exceptional interest. Its oldest copy is preserved at the Matenadaran (manuscript number 4150). It shows, that the theory of numbers was taught at the Armenian schools. Hovhannes Sarkavag has also introduced the reform of the Armenian calendar.
The problems of cosmography and calendar were also discussed by the 12th century author Nerses Shnorhali in his work About the Sky and its decoration, by the 13th century author Hovhannes Yerzenkatsi Pluz in his work About the heavenly movement, by the 14th century scholar Hakob Ghrimetsi, by another author of the 14th century, the pupil of Hovhan Vorotnetsi, Mekhitar in his work Khrakhtshanakanner, by the 15th century scholar Sargis the Philosopher and others.
The Armenian mathematicians have translated the best works of the world mathematical sciences. In the manuscript number 4166, copied in the 12th century, several chapters of The Elements of Geometry by the famous Greek mathematician Euclid (3rd century BC) have been preserved in the Armenian translation.
Some originals of foreign mathematicians' works are also preserved at the Matenadaran. Among the Arabic manuscripts, for example, is the Kitab al - Najat (The Book of Salvation), written by famous Avicenna (Abu Ali ibn - Sina).
Read more on THEORY OF THE CALENDAR - Article by Julieta EYNATYAN
Shirakatsi mentions the principles of chronology of the Egyptians, Jews, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans and Ethiopians, he speaks of the planetary motion and periodicity of lunar and solar eclipses. Accepting the roundness of the Earth, Shirakatsi expresses the opinion, that the Sun illuminates both spheres of the Earth at different times and when it is night on one half, it is day on the other. He considers the Milky Way 'a mass of densely distributed and faintly luminous stars'. Shirakatsi agrees with those scientists, who believed that 'the moon has no natural light and reflects the light of the Sun'. He explains the solar eclipse as the result of the Moon's position between the Sun and the Earth. Shirakatsi gives interesting explanation to the rain, snow, hail, thunder, wind, earthquake and other natural phenomena.
Shirakatsi has also written a number of works on the calendar, measurement, geography, history. In his book 'Weights and measures' together with the Armenian system of weights and measures the corresponding Greek, Jewish, Assyrian and Persian systems are given. It gives an opportunity to elucidate the sizes of the Eratosthenes' stadium, an issue in the world science.
Among the mathematical works of the 11th century author Hovhannes Sarkavag Polygonal Numbers is of exceptional interest. Its oldest copy is preserved at the Matenadaran (manuscript number 4150). It shows, that the theory of numbers was taught at the Armenian schools. Hovhannes Sarkavag has also introduced the reform of the Armenian calendar.
The problems of cosmography and calendar were also discussed by the 12th century author Nerses Shnorhali in his work About the Sky and its decoration, by the 13th century author Hovhannes Yerzenkatsi Pluz in his work About the heavenly movement, by the 14th century scholar Hakob Ghrimetsi, by another author of the 14th century, the pupil of Hovhan Vorotnetsi, Mekhitar in his work Khrakhtshanakanner, by the 15th century scholar Sargis the Philosopher and others.
The Armenian mathematicians have translated the best works of the world mathematical sciences. In the manuscript number 4166, copied in the 12th century, several chapters of The Elements of Geometry by the famous Greek mathematician Euclid (3rd century BC) have been preserved in the Armenian translation.
Some originals of foreign mathematicians' works are also preserved at the Matenadaran. Among the Arabic manuscripts, for example, is the Kitab al - Najat (The Book of Salvation), written by famous Avicenna (Abu Ali ibn - Sina).
Read more on THEORY OF THE CALENDAR - Article by Julieta EYNATYAN
