Arabic Astronomical Tables in China: Tabular Layout and its Implications for the Transmission and Use of the Huihui lifa

This paper examines the early transmission and translation of Arabic astronomical tables in China by comparing the layouts of parallax correction tables. After comparing the layouts of equation tables in various Huihui lifa works, this paper concludes that the characteristics of tabular layout are related to the specific nature of each work, and these adjustments thereto may reflect changes in their intended audience and purpose. Comparison of a single type of table that appears in Huihui lifa works of different eras in one-dimensional array, two-dimensional array, and rotational symmetry layouts illustrates that Chinese astronomical tables continually absorbed and adapted the advantages offered by Arabic and European counterparts, flexibly adapting them to their own purposes on the basis of their own tradition and habits