mathematics

Hauksbók

Hauksbók is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hauksbók rather than just read about it. In short: Hauksbók (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈhœyksˌpouːk]; 'Book of Haukr') is a 14th-century Icelandic manuscript created by Haukr Erlendsson. Significant portions of it are lost, but it contains the earliest copies of many of the texts it contains, including the Saga of Eric the Red.

Key takeaways

Hauksbók belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hauksbók to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hauksbók from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hauksbók (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈhœyksˌpouːk]; 'Book of Haukr') is a 14th-century Icelandic manuscript created by Haukr Erlendsson. Significant portions of it are lost, but it contains the earliest copies of many of the texts it contains, including the Saga of Eric the Red. In most cases, Haukr copied from earlier, now lost manuscripts. Among these are the section on mathematics called Algorismus, the text of Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks. It was originally in one part, but now split in three (AM 371 4to, AM 544 4to and AM 675 4to) and held at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Composition Hauksbók is associated with an Icelandic lawspeaker named Haukr Erlendsson: although the work of several scribes, the vast majority is in Haukr's hand. Palaeographical evidence allowed Professor Stefán Karlsson, director of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, to date the manuscript to between 1302 and 1310. As long back as it is possible to trace the manuscript it has been called Hauksbók after him. Hauksbók is a compilation that includes Icelandic sagas and a redaction of Landnámabók. The book contains versions, often the only or earliest extant versions, of many Old Icelandic texts, such as Fóstbrœðra saga, the Saga of Eric the Red, Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, and Völuspá. Haukr tended to rewrite the sagas that he copied, generally shortening them. In addition, Haukr Erlendsson wrote "Hauk's Annals," which chronicled events of his lifetime and a handbook on Norse law.

Contents The known contents of Hauksbók are:

AM 371 4to (1r-14v): Landnámabók (15r-18v): Kristni saga

AM 544 4to (1r-14v): encyclopaedic information drawn from various sources, on geography, natural phenomena, and Biblical stories (15r-19v): encyclopaedic information drawn from various sources, on philosophy and theology (20r-21r): Völuspá (22r-33v): Trójumanna saga (34r): a text called 'Seven Precious Stones And Their Nature' (35v): Cisiojanus (a versified Latin enumeration for remembering the church festivals throughout the year) (36r-59r): Breta sögur, including Merlínússpá (60r-68v): two dialogues between the soul and the body (69r-72v:9): Hemings þáttr Áslákssonar (72v:9-76v): Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks (77r-89v:35): Fóstbrœðra saga (89v:35-93r:17): Algorismus (93r:17-101v:24): Eiríks saga rauða (101v:25-104v:17): Skálda saga (104v:18-105r:21): Af Upplendinga konungum (105r:21-107v): Ragnarssona þáttr (107v): Prognostica Temporum

AM 675 4to Elucidarius

Editions Hauksbók is often included as a witness in editions of the individual sagas that it contains. It has been edited as whole in the following:

Hauksbók, udg. efter de Arnamagnæanske håndskrifter no. 371, 544 og 675, 4̊, samt forskellige papirshåndskrifter af det Kongelige nordiske oldskrift-selskab, ed. by Finnur Jónsson and Eiríkur Jónsson (København: Thiele, 1892–96) Hauksbók: The Arna-Magnæan Manuscripts, 371, 4to, 544, 4to, and 675, 4to., ed. by Jón Helgason, Manuscripta Islandica, 5 (Copenhagen: Munksgaard, 1960) [facsimile]

References

External links Main entry at handrit.is Algorismus in Hauksbok by Otto B. Bekken, Marit A. Nielsen and Steinar Thorvaldsen. A translation into modern Norwegian. Eureka Digital, 2010. Sverrir Jakobsson. Hauksbók and Construction of an Icelandic World View, Saga-Book 31 (2007)

Illustrations

Hauksbók: A page from Hauksbók — A page from Hauksbók

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hauksbók

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hauksbók claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hauksbók before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hauksbók ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hauksbók

In research: Hauksbók appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hauksbók in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hauksbók is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 14th-century books, Icelandic manuscripts, Mathematics manuscripts, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hauksbók outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hauksbók in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hauksbók means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hauksbók out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hauksbók in simple terms?

Why does Hauksbók matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hauksbók?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hauksbók.