Guo Shoujing
Guo Shoujing (Chinese:郭守敬; Pinyin: Guo Shǒujìng; Wade- Giles: Kuo Shou- ching) (* 1231 in Xingtai, † 1316 ) was a Chinese hydraulic engineer, astronomer and mathematician.
Life
He was brought up after the early death of his father from his grandfather Guo Yong, a scholar, educated in topics such as the Confucian classics, mathematics and hydraulics. The child soon developed an unusual talent. When the officer and scholar Liu Bingzhong (1216-1274) in 1246 came to Xingtai, while a number of thinkers (including Zhang Wenqian ) gathered around him, Guo Yong took the opportunity to let his grandson at Liu Bingzhong study (ca. 1246-49 ). At the age of 20 Guo Shoujing planned the successful reconstruction of a ( swept away ) stone bridge over the Dahuoquan and placed so that the local officials his talent ( 1251 ).
In June 1260 he was given the opportunity to meet the irrigation systems of various districts in the wake Zhang Wenqians. At the same time he designed and improved some astronomical instruments, whereupon the impressed Zhang Wenqian arranged an audience with the ruler Kublai Khan. This he submitted six specific proposals for improving water management in northern China and was immediately given a post in the water management, in which he then gradually further and further advancement. In 1271 he was given as " Director " means the supervision of the hydraulic engineering, the complex problem of river regulation and irrigation in China.
Among other projects, he built the northernmost section of the Grand Canal, the TONGHUI channel (80 km long), which supply the capital Beijing (then or Dadu Khan balyq ) served with corn from the south. The Grand Canal had to be realigned and extended to the capital at the time. The old route was too long for the new needs and not long since been sufficient navigable. Another project was the Kunming Lake, which served the water supply of the capital.
His second main focus was astronomy, together with his colleague Wang Xun ( Hsun Wang ). The Khan had the Persian astronomer and geographer Jamal ad-Din invited ( † around 1301 ) to China. He came in 1267, brought with astronomical instruments and a new, better calendar, the " Wan nien li" calendar. Thereupon the Khan founded an institute for Muslim astronomy to attract Persian and Arabic astronomers, and gave the scientists a higher status in society. 1276 Guo Shoujing was commissioned with a calendar reform. To determine better information on the course of the sun (today we would say that the Earth's orbit ), he built the Gaocheng Observatory. He developed due to the Persian findings to 1280 a new calendar, the shih Shou li (授 时 历) associated with small changes 364 years, ie nor the Ming period was used throughout. The length of the year in this calendar of 365.2425 days corresponded to the Gregorian calendar by the end of the 16th century Guo Shoujing also constructed astronomical instruments, which were assembled by a Nepalese named Arniko and used 500 years.
He also counts next to Zhu Shijie, the author of two mathematical works (1299/1303), even among the great mathematicians of his time.
The International Astronomical Union honored him with the naming of the asteroid (2012 ), Guo Shou- Jing.