TRẠNG LƯỜNG
Weighing an elephant and measuring paper
Luong The Vinh (1441-1496), also known as Thuy Hien, was a distinguished Vietnamese mathematician, scholar, and poet. Born in Nam Dinh, he earned the highest rank in the imperial examination, served as Sai phu in the Tao Dan Literary Society under Le Thanh Tong, and became celebrated as Trang Luong. Alongside his official and teaching duties, his legacy became closely associated with the Vietnamese counting frame and works such as Dai thanh Toan phap and Khai minh Toan hoc.
According to tradition, when a Ming diplomatic mission visited Dai Viet, Luong The Vinh was assigned to receive the envoys and answer their challenges. He weighed an elephant by marking the water level of a boat and then replacing the animal with stones. He also calculated the thickness of a single sheet of paper by measuring an entire book and dividing the result by the number of sheets. His flexible and precise solutions impressed the Ming envoys, demonstrating the scientific intelligence and confidence of a Dai Viet scholar.
PALADI CHARACTER DESIGN
Character design details
MO cầm bàn tính Việt, bên dưới là mô hình voi đứng trên thuyền cùng những viên đá nhỏ. Các chi tiết kể lại cách tư duy bằng quan sát và thực nghiệm của Trạng Lường.