Whenever we talk about Mathematics, the contribution of India is always considered as a benchmark. Let us take a look at some of the greatest Indian mathematicians who have changed the face of Mathematics around the world.
1. Aryabhatta (476-550 CE)
His major work i.e. Aryabhatiya, a compendium of mathematics and astronomy, was widely referred to in Indian mathematical literature and has survived to modern times. His main contributions covers arithmetic, algebra, plane trigonometry and spherical trigonometry, continued fractions, quadratic equations, sum of power series and table of sines.
2. Varahamihira (505-587 CE)
Varahamihira's main work is the book Pancha-Siddhantika on the five astronomical treatises. His work is a treatise on mathematical astronomy and it summarises five earlier treatises, namely Surya Siddhanta, Romaka Siddhanta, Paulisa Siddhanta, Vasishtha Siddhanta and Pitamaha Siddhanta. He was the first one to mention that the ayanamsa, or the shifting of the equinox is 50.32 seconds.
3. Yativrsabha (6th century)
Yativrsabha was a mathematician and a Jain monk, who wrote the book named Tiloyapannatti which describes cosmology from the point of view of Jain religion and philosophy. The work also gives various units for measuring distances and time. Tiloya Panatti postulated different concepts about infinity.
4. Brahmagupta (598-670 CE)
Brahmagupta gave the solution of the general linear equation in chapter eighteen of Brahmasphutasiddhanta. The current system of number system is based on the Hindu Arabic number system and first appeared in Brahmasphutasiddhanta. Brahmagupta gave the sum of the squares and cubes of the first n integers.
His book Brahmasphutasiddhanta is the first book that mentions zero as a number. He also contributed by formulating Pythagorean triples and gave a recurrence relation for generating solutions to certain instances of Pell's equation using the Euclidean algorithm. He also devised a formula for cyclic quadrilaterals. His work in different fields is just amazing and that is still a benchmark in today's world.
His book Brahmasphutasiddhanta is the first book that mentions zero as a number. He also contributed by formulating Pythagorean triples and gave a recurrence relation for generating solutions to certain instances of Pell's equation using the Euclidean algorithm. He also devised a formula for cyclic quadrilaterals. His work in different fields is just amazing and that is still a benchmark in today's world.
5. Bhaskara I (600-680 CE)
Bhaskara I was the first to write numbers in the Hindu decimal system with a circle for the zero, and gave a unique and remarkable rational approximation of the sine function in his commentary on Aryabhatta's work.
This commentary, Aryabhatiyabhasya, written in 629 CE, is the oldest known prose work in Sanskrit on mathematics and astronomy. His astronomical works in the line of Aryabhatta's school, the Mahabhaskariya and the Laghubhaskariya are spectacular.
This commentary, Aryabhatiyabhasya, written in 629 CE, is the oldest known prose work in Sanskrit on mathematics and astronomy. His astronomical works in the line of Aryabhatta's school, the Mahabhaskariya and the Laghubhaskariya are spectacular.
6. Sridhara (between 650-850 CE)
Sridhara was known for 2 treatises: Trisatika (written in three hundred shlokas) and the Patiganita. The book discusses counting of numbers, measures, natural numbers, multiplication, division, zero, squares, cubes, fraction, rule of three, interest-calculation, joint business or partnership and mensuration.
He wrote that "If zero is added to any number, the sum is the same number; if zero is subtracted from any number, the number remains unchanged; if zero is multiplied by any number, the product is zero". He gave a rule for finding the volume of a sphere.
He wrote that "If zero is added to any number, the sum is the same number; if zero is subtracted from any number, the number remains unchanged; if zero is multiplied by any number, the product is zero". He gave a rule for finding the volume of a sphere.
7. Mahavira (9th century CE)
Mahavira was a 9th century Jain mathematician from Bihar. He separated astrology from mathematics. He was the author of Ganita Sara Samgraha which revised the Brahmasphutasiddhanta. His work is a highly syncopated approach to algebra and the emphasis in much of his text is on developing the techniques necessary to solve algebriac problems. His contributions also include the concepts such as Equilateral, Isosceles Triangle, Rhombus, Circle and Semi-circle.
8. Pavuluri Mallana (11th century CE)
Pavuluri Mallana, the follower of Adikavi Nannaya, was a mathematician of the 11th century. He translated Ganitasara Samgraham, a mathematical treatise of Mahavira, into Telugu as Sara Sangraha Ganitamu. He also authored Bhadradri Rama Satakamu published by Vavilla Ramaswamy Sastrulu and sons in 1916.
9. Hemachandra (1087-1172 CE)
Acharya Hemachandra was a Jain scholar, poet and polymath who wrote grammar, philosophy, prosody and contemporary history. He gained the title Kalikalasarvajna, the all knowing of the Kali Yuga. Hemachandra, following the earlier Gopala, presented an earlier version of the Fibonacci sequence, which was presented about fifty years before Fibonacci.
10. Bhaskara II (1114-1185 CE)
Bhaskara II was an Indian mathematician and astronomer, born in Bijapur in Karnataka. His works represent a spectacular contribution to mathematical and astronomical knowledge in the 12th century and he was also called the greatest mathematician of the medieval India.
He contributed a lot in the fields of mathematics including arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. Bhaskara's work on calculus predates Newton and Leibniz by over half a millenium. He wrote the first work with full and systematic use of the decimal number system.
He contributed a lot in the fields of mathematics including arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. Bhaskara's work on calculus predates Newton and Leibniz by over half a millenium. He wrote the first work with full and systematic use of the decimal number system.
