SIDE BY SIDE
Compare mantic systems
Read systems against shared questions to identify common language, procedural differences and distinct limits.
| Dimension | 铁板神数 ↗ | 四柱子平命理 ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Fate calculation and astral nativities | Fate calculation and astral nativities |
| Inputs | Verse edition, numbering, number derivation and question log | Record precision, place, time standard and year/month conventions |
| Procedural structure | Different lineages convert birth data into base numbers, calibrate minute divisions or key codes against kin facts, then index fixed statements. Starting numbers, constants and oracle corpora are not uniform. | Eight characters form four pillars with the day stem as reference. The month command supplies season; visible and hidden stems become ten relations. Schools then emphasize pattern, strength, climatic adjustment, spirits or resonance and arrange major and annual cycles. |
| Formation | Surviving evidence is chiefly post-Ming; clearer popularity from the mid-Qing | Tang fate calculation as predecessor; Four-Pillar system matured after the Five Dynasties and early Song |
| Evidence labels | Traditional attribution · Contested lineage or date | Textually documented · Traditional attribution · Contested lineage or date |
| Texts | Editions titled Shenji Miaosuan Tieban Shu / Qing and Republican printed/manuscript Iron Plate texts | Li Xuzhong Mingshu / Wuxing Jingji / Yuanhai Ziping / Sanming Tonghui / Ditian Sui and Ziping Zhenquan |
| Limits | Reliable Song evidence of Shao Yong's authorship is absent. Claims of absolute precision or a universal corpus of 12,000 statements are promotional or edition-specific. | The received Li Xuzhong text is not an intact Tang original, and sole invention by Xu Ziping oversimplifies long development. Birth-time conversion should state timezone, local solar-time policy and calendar source. |
| Research question | Where does the matching procedure use information learned later? | Which pillars change near a solar-term boundary? |