Li Shanlan (李善蘭, courtesy name: Renshu 壬叔, art name: Qiuren 秋紉) (1810 – 1882) was a Chinese mathematician of the Qing Dynasty.
A native of Haining, Zhejiang, he was fascinated by mathematics since childhood, beginning with the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art. He eked out a living by being a private tutor for some years before fleeing to Shanghai in 1852 to evade the Taiping Rebellion. There he collaborated with Alexander Wylie, Joseph Edkins and others to translate many Western mathematical works into Chinese, including Elements of Analytical Geometry and of the Differential and Integral Calculus by Elias Loomis, Augustus De Morgan's Elements of Algebra, and the last nine volumes of Euclid's Elements (from Henry Billingsley's edition), the first six volumes of which having been rendered into Chinese by Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi in 1607.
A great number of mathematical terms used in Chinese today were first coined by Li, who were later borrowed into the Japanese language as well. He discovered the Li Shanlan identity (Li Shanlan's summation formulae) in 1867. Later he worked in the think tank of Zeng Guofan. In 1868, he began to teach in Tongwen Guan where he collaborated closely with linguist John Fryer.: 6–79
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Some of their strengths
Li Shanlan has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intelligent, Practical, Energetic, Intuitive, Passionate, Adventurous, and Imaginative.
Smart and Hardworking
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Li Shanlan is someone who is a smart, hardworking, reliable, and loyal person, who is detail-oriented and orderly, but also generous and optimistic. A person who seems to identify with family, heritage and ancestry.
Active and Precise
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Li Shanlan well know them as someone who can be tough, active, and sharp, like a sword.
Methodical and Exacting
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Li Shanlan as someone who is careful, methodical, and a perfectionist.
A person who forms successful business partnerships, who appreciates the variety the world has to offer, who takes a frugal approach to life and tends to be a workaholic, and who engages in things that let them express their opinion.
Altruistic and Ambitious
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Li Shanlan is someone who is the type of person who rallies behind a group, cause, or community, and who enjoys being dedicated to a higher cause of some sort.
They are also someone who is intuitive, imaginative, and an agent of change, and who is always dreaming of life's great possibilities and partnering with people to try to achieve those possibilities.
Patient and Perseverent
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Li Shanlan tends to be someone who is patient, faithful, hardworking and persistent, and who wants to achieve a lot in life. Who tends to be rather private when it comes to expressing feelings, enjoys being independent and self-sufficient, and who is not afraid of any obstacle.
Some of Li Shanlan's challenges
While Li Shanlan has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Li Shanlan can be Suspicious, Stubborn, Short-tempered, Impulsive, Hesitant, Narcissistic, and Sensitive.
Suspicious and Stubborn
One of Li Shanlan's key challenges is that they are someone who can be suspicious and stubborn.
Li Shanlan must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs.
Sensitive and Critical
Li Shanlan is someone who can be insecure, critical, and pessimistic, who can have difficulty relaxing, can be possessive and jealous, and who can have difficulty listening to others' opinions and perspectives and make hasty decisions.
Callous and Stubborn
Finally, Li Shanlan also can come across as cold and unemotional, be too dismissive of others' opinions, and be overly suspicious, selfish and crafty.
