After Xu Guangqi entered imperial academy, he had more opportunities to get in touch with Matteo Ricci. He often goes to Matteo Ricci's residence and asks him for advice. Matteo Ricci spoke enthusiastically about the development of science and technology in the West, and Xu Guangqi was deeply attracted. During the conversation with Matteo Ricci, Xu Guangqi deeply felt that mathematics is not only a tool to study science, but also a key to open the hall of science. No matter observing the astronomical phenomena, revising the calendar, building water conservancy projects, building houses and manufacturing machinery, it is impossible to understand mathematics. When Xu Guangqi asked Matteo Ricci to translate western languages, Matteo Ricci refused politely for fear of affecting his missionary work in China. At Xu Guangqi's repeated request, Matteo Ricci finally agreed to translate the Elements of Geometry.
The Elements of Geometry is the masterpiece of Euclid, a famous mathematician in ancient Greece. It occupies an important position in the history of world mathematics. The text translated by Xu Guangqi and Matteo Ricci is the Latin text annotated by European mathematician Clavi in the 6th century A.D./KLOC-0. There are fifteen volumes in the book. The first six volumes are plane geometry, seven to ten volumes are number theory, and eleven to fifteen volumes are solid geometry. The content of Geometry Elements focuses on the discussion of the basic theory of mathematics and is considered as a classic of mathematical writing form and thinking training. It has long been used as a standard teaching material in European countries, and its axiomatic law has also been concerned and studied by mathematicians of all ages.
In the process of translating The Elements of Geometry, Matteo Ricci told it orally and Xu Guangqi recorded it. Because Geometry Elements is completely different from China's ancient traditional mathematics, the nouns and terms in the proposition are very strange; Secondly, the form of logical reasoning cannot be found in China's ancient mathematical works, so it is difficult to translate. Faced with these difficulties, Xu Guangqi did not flinch. With a rigorous attitude towards science, he worked sleepless nights and carefully studied the translation of every noun and term. He goes to Matteo Ricci's residence every afternoon, listens to his stories, and then arranges, modifies and polishes the recorded manuscripts after returning home, often working late into the night. The intense, monotonous and austere translation work finally made Xu Guangqi ill. But he was lying in a hospital bed and never stopped translating. Where there is a will, there is a way. After five months of hard work and three drafts, The Elements of Geometry was finally translated from 1 volume into six volumes. His translation is not only popular, but also has no major mistakes. Liang Qichao praised Xu Guangqi's translation of The Elements of Geometry in his Academic Thoughts in Qing Dynasty: "The words are pure gold and beautiful jade, which is an immortal work."
The Chinese version of Elements of Geometry is the first systematic geometric work in the history of science in China, and all the new deductive thinking methods in the book are introduced by China intellectuals for the first time. These achievements have condensed Xu Guangqi's painstaking efforts! A set of Chinese terms created by Xu Guangqi in translation, such as point, line, plane, curve, obtuse angle, acute angle, triangle, parallel line and circumscribed circle. , very appropriate, is still used in modern mathematics in China.
Xu Guangqi's great enthusiasm for translating Elements of Geometry shows the unique views of this learned scientist. Since the Song Dynasty in ancient China, many scholars have despised science and technology and held an arrogant attitude towards China's traditional mathematics. Xu Guangqi realized from his own scientific practice that in order to revitalize science, we must popularize mathematics and improve people's mathematical literacy. He asserted: "After stealing for a hundred years, everyone is interested in Xi." To this end, he wrote a special essay on geometry, and shouted: "whoever can master this book can master everything;" Those who are eager to learn this book have nothing to learn. "