Abstract:

The term “kaifang”(开方) is an important branch of mathematics in ancient China. Its meaning is much wider than the inverse operation of power. In fact, it refers to the methods and operations of finding positive roots of an equation with one unknown of 2 or higher degree. This paper discusses the origin and development of the term “kaifang” and the related terms, analyzes their historical meanings, examines the explanations of these terms in some modern dictionaries, and corrects some statements of the explanations which are not in conformity with historical facts.

Key words: “kaifang”, equation with one unknown of 2 or higher degree, mathematics terms, history of mathematics in ancient China