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A 13th century collection of mathematical problems. (Un recueil du XIIIe siècle de problèmes mathématiques.) (French) Zbl 1019.01005

This article gives an edition, of a Latin manuscript, now kept at the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, No. 15120, and a commentary on the mathematical problems which were collected in this manuscript sometime during the thirteenth century, but without a full translation of the text. In the discussion the author bemoans the fact that the Europeans did not take full advantage of the algebraic knowledge that was made available to them through Spain after the reconquista, and misses the chance to take full advantage of the questions this very manuscript raises in its own turn.
To give only two examples, why does this collection of problems preserved in this manuscript depend so heavily on the work of Johannes Hispalensis called Liber Mohameleth, which was in turn transparently based on Arabic mu‘āmalāt type of mathematical literature? Or how could Italy benefit from the knowledge derived from Arabic through the works of Fibonacci and not Spain or the rest of Europe for that matter? No word from the author on such important issues touching on the very important subject of the transmission of mathematics to Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
The contents of the text itself are by the author’s own assessment not worth preserving.

MSC:

01A35 History of mathematics in Late Antiquity and medieval Europe
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