This section gives a worked example of computing the side length of a square given its perimeter.
The relevant unit conversion for length is
See Vol. I §1 (Units of length).
Chinese source text: Version A, Version B, Version C, Version D.
Unless noted otherwise, I follow the text from Version D, 《知不足齋叢書》本.
Source text | Target text | Notes |
---|---|---|
今有索長五千七百九十四步、欲使作方。問幾何。 答曰、一千四百四十八步三尺。 |
Suppose there be rope
of length five thousand seven hundred [and] ninety-four paces,
[and we] wish to make [it] construct [a] square.
[We] ask, how much [be its edge]? Answer saith: one thousand four hundred [and] forty-eight paces [and] three rules. |
|
術曰、置索長五千七百九十四步。以四除之、得一千四百四十八步、餘二步。 | Method saith: put [down the] rope's length five thousand seven hundred [and] ninety-four paces. Dividing it by four, resulteth in one thousand four hundred [and] forty-eight paces, remainder two paces. | |
以六因之、得一丈二尺。以四除之、得三尺。 | Multiplying it by six, resulteth in one rod [and] two rules. Dividing it by four, resulteth in three rules. |
|
通計、即得。 | Calculating [the] total, [we] are done. |
|
Conway (2023). "Sun Tzŭ's Computational Classic: Volume II §16". <https://yawnoc.github.io/sun-tzu/ii/16> Accessed yyyy-mm-dd.