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Mathematics in Early Medieval Ireland

My interest in this topic began in about Spring 1997.  It arose while teaching algebra to computing students at Dundalk Institute of Technology. The civilisation of Baghdad (in which al-Khwarizmi, founder of algebra, flourished) was contemporaneous with a vibrant civilisation in Ireland. What, if any, mathematical activity existed in the latter?

I have given a presentation and five papers on this and related topics:

Paper to Galway Computus Conference organised by  Foundations of Irish Culture, NUI Galway, 18-20 July 2008, entitled Early medieval insular mathematics – not just the computus! (with PowerPoint illustrations, 206kb)
Presentation to DIT School of Mathematical Sciences Seminar, 21st February 2008, entitled Was there Mathematics in Early Medieval Ireland? (PowerPoint, 44Mb) This presentation contains images as follows, with sources as per links: 
  1. Tara Broch (detail)
  2. North Cross, Ahenny
  3. Book of Durrow
  4. Book of Mulling (Moling): St John
  5. The Earliest Irish and English Bookarts (Stevick) - Book of Mulling (Moling): St Matthew
  6. Maple geometrical constructions, after Stevick (generated by the author)
  7. Echternach Gospels - Imago Leonis
  8. St Gall Gospels - Cross page
  9. Ravenna Easter table (photo: author)
  10. Early Irish History and Chronology (Ó Cróinín) - Padua latercus

The sources are unknown (at present) for those images without links. I will remove any image if so requested by the copyright holder.

The Fr Ingram Memorial Lecture, entitled Clonmelsh and Mathematics, presented to the Irish Mathematics Teachers' Association, Carlow, Carlow, 24th November 2000.  Published in the IMTA Bulletin 99 (April 2001) and reproduced here with kind permission of the Editor.
Mathematics and Culture - a Vital Symbiosis presented to the Irish Mathematics Intervarsities, DCU, 4th March 2000.
Mathematics and Cultures in Transition presented to a conference on the theme Cultures in Transition, DCU, 18th-19th February 2000.

Links:

Foundations of Irish Culture AD 600-850
Dan McCarthy's Irish chronicles and their chronology

 

page updated: 22 March 2012