Mathematics of the Incas: Code of the Quipu (Dover Books on Mathematics)

The Incas of ancient Peru possessed no writing. Instead, they developed a unique system expressed on spatial arrays of colored knotted cords called quipus to record and transmit information throughout their vast empire. The present book is based on a firsthand study of actual quipus that survived the destruction of the Inca civilization. Written by a mathematician and an anthropologist, this book acquaints the reader with the cultural context of the quipus, the problem of interpreting artifacts from another culture, and the place of the quipu-maker in Inca culture. Although no previous mathematical knowledge is assumed, the reader is introduced to the mathematical ideas embedded in the quipus and learns how to make a quipu. Enhanced with over 125 illustrations, this unusual and thought-provoking study will interest mathematicians, historians, anthropologists, archeologists, and students of folk art with its unique perspective on the way in which pieces of colored string serve to embody a rich, logical, numerical tradition and are, ultimately, a metaphor for the civilization that created them. Preface. Exercises and answers within chapters. Unique, Thought-provoking Study Discusses Quipu, An Accounting System Employing Knotted, Colored Cords, Used By Incas To Transmit Information. Cultural Context, Mathematics Involved, Quipu-maker In Inca Society-even How To Make A Quipu. Fascinating For Anthropologists, Ethnologists, Students, General Readers. 1. Odyssey -- 2. How To Make A Quipu -- 3. Inca Insistence -- 4. The Quipumaker -- 5. Format, Category, And Summation -- 6. Hierarchy And Pattern -- 7. Arithmetical Ideas And Recurrent Numbers -- 8. A Piece Of String. Marcia Ascher, Robert Ascher. Originally Published: Code Of The Quipu. Ann Arbor : University Of Michigan Press, C1981. Includes Bibliographical References. DOVER SCIENCE BOOKS; Title Page; Dedication; Copyright Page; Preface; AUTHORS' NOTE; Table of Contents; Chapter 1 - Odyssey; Chapter 2 - How to Make a Quipu; Chapter 3 - Inca Insistence; Chapter 4 - The Quipumaker; Chapter 5 - Format, Category, and Summation; Chapter 6 - Hierarchy and Pattern; Chapter 7 - Arithmetical Ideas and Recurrent Numbers; Chapter 8 - A Piece of String