《孫子算經卷下》 "Sun Tzŭ's Computational Classic: Volume III"
§12. Marking up by a rate

This section gives a worked example of marking up a quantity by a rate.

The relevant unit conversions for capacity are

\begin{aligned} 1 \unit{barrel~(斛)} &= 10 \unit{pecks~(斗)} \\ 1 \unit{peck~(斗)} &= 10 \unit{quarts~(升)}. \end{aligned}

See Vol. I §3 (Units of capacity).

Translation

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
今有粟二千三百七十四斛、斛加三升。問共粟幾何。 Suppose there be grain two thousand three hundred [and] seventy-four barrels, [and for each] barrel [we] add three quarts. [We] ask, how much [be the] grain altogether?
答曰、二千四百四十五斛二斗二升。 Answer saith: two thousand four hundred [and] forty-five barrels, two pecks, [and] two quarts.
術曰、置粟二千三百七十四斛、以一斛三升乘之、即得。 Method saith: put [down the] grain two thousand three hundred [and] seventy-four barrels; multiplying it by one barrel [and] three quarts, [we] are done.
  • In modern notation,
    2374 \unit{barrels} \times \frac{1.03 \unit{barrels}}{\unit{barrel}} = 2445.22 \unit{barrels}.

Cite this page

Conway (2023). "Sun Tzŭ's Computational Classic: Volume III §12". <https://yawnoc.github.io/sun-tzu/iii/12> Accessed yyyy-mm-dd.