Research

Research Priorities: History of mathematics, chinese mathematics, mathematical cultures, history of algebra, mathematical terminology

Karine Chemla is a French sinologist and mathematics historian. Her research focuses on the history of Chinese mathematics. She investigates the influence of mathematics on world history and the diversity of mathematical cultures. Other topics include the history of algorithms, the history of algebra, and mathematical terminology.

Karine Chemla researches the history of mathematics and investigates the meaning of mathematical cultures. She analyses text types, investigative methods, epistemological values and the discussions that accompany mathematical work. Building on this, she seeks to understand the correlations between mathematical concepts and these factors. Above all she works with comparative studies and concentrates on the interpretation of scientific texts. She also researches how the universality of mathematical knowledge has been shaped in specific historical contexts.

She is co-editor of the critical edition of “The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art”, a classic of ancient Chinese mathematics and one of the oldest surviving Chinese mathematical texts.

Karine Chemla is a member of the Euler Committee. Swiss-born Leonhard Euler is considered one of the most influential mathematicians. The Committee’s objective is to publish the complete works of Leonhard Euler and it has published a large amount of his writings and correspondence.

Career

• 2018 Visiting Researcher, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, Germany
• since 2010 Visiting Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China and Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou City, China
• since 2005 Visiting Professor, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
• since 2001 Director, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
• 1997-2001 Director of Research, CNRS, France
• since 1982 Researcher, CNRS, France
• 1982 PhD in Mathematics, History of Mathematics, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Paris, France
• 1980-1981 Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China
• 1979 MSc in Mathematics, Paris Diderot University (now: Paris Cité University), Paris, France
• 1978 Agrégation de mathématiques, France
• 1976-1982 Mathematics Studies, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Jeunes Filles, Paris, France

Functions

• 2014-2016 President, European Society for the History of Science (ESHS)
• 2013-2017 Assessor, Division of History and Philosophy of Science, International Commission of Science and Cultural Diversity (IASCUD)
• since 2011 President, Comité national français d'histoire et de philosophie des sciences (CNFHPS), France
• 2009-2013 Assistant Secretary General, Division of History of Science and Technology (DHST), International Union Of History and Philosophy (IUHPST)
• 2008-2012 Member, Section 33, CNRS, France
• since 2010 Member, Board, Conseil d'Orientation Scientifique et Pédagogique (COSP), Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (PRES), Paris, France
• 2003-2007 Director, Interdisciplinary Programme “History of Knowledge”, CNRS, France
• since 2001 Member, Division of History and Philosophy of Science, IASCUD
• 2001-2008 Director, Unite mixte de recherche (UMR), Recherches épistémologiques et historiques sur les sciences exactes et les institutions scientifiques (REHSEIS), CNRS, France
• since 1997 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Instituts des Hautes Etudes Chinoises – Collège de France, France
• since 1992 Member representing France, International Commission for the History of Mathematics, International Mathematical Union

Projects

• 2011-2016 Principal Investigator, Advanced Research Grant “Mathematical Sciences in the Ancient World” (SAW), Seventh Framework Programme (FRP), European Research Council (ERC)
• 2009-2013 Member, Project “History of numerical tables”, French National Research Agency, France
• 2003-2007 Director, National Programme “History of Knowledge”, CNRS, France
• 2002 Head, International Project of Advanced Study “History and historiography of mathematical proof in ancient traditions”, Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (MSH), REHSEIS, CNRS, France and Columbia University, New York City, USA

Honours and Memberships

• 2021 Hirst Prize, London Mathematical Society, London, UK and British Society for the History of Mathematics, UK
• 2020 Member, Social Sciences and Humanities Division, European Academy of Sciences
• 2020 Otto Neugebauer Prize, European Mathematical Society
• 2019 Honorary Doctorate, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
• since 2019 Member, American Philosophical Society (APS), USA
• since 2013 Member, Academia Europaea
• since 2010 Senior Fellow, Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University (NYU), New York City, USA
• 2010 Fellowship, CAS, China
• 2008 Silver Medal, CNRS, France
• 2006 Fellow, Dibner Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA
• 2006 Prix Hirayama for the book “Les Neuf chapitres. Le classique mathématique de la Chine ancienne et ses commentaries” (together with Guo Shuchun), Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Institut de France, Paris, France
• 2006 Binoux Prize, Académie des Sciences, France
• since 2005 Member, International Academy of the History of Sciences
• since 2004 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2002 Fellow, Columbia University, New York City, USA
• 1994-1995 Fellow, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany