Overview
- An important landmark in the international history of medieval mathematics
- First sanskrit mathematical commentary ever translated into English
- Oldest sanskrit mathematical commentary known to us
- A unique insight into mathematical reasoning and practices of a 7th century Indian astronomer
- First known reflexive Indian text on arithmetic, trigonometry, geometry and mathematical reasonings in general
Part of the book series: Science Networks. Historical Studies (SNHS, volume 30)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (2 chapters)
-
On the Translation
-
The Translation
Keywords
About this book
In the 5th century the Indian mathematician Aryabhata (476-499) wrote a small but famous work on astronomy, the Aryabhatiya. This treatise, written in 118 verses, gives in its second chapter a summary of Hindu mathematics up to that time. Two hundred years later, an Indian astronomer called Bhaskara glossed this mathematial chapter of the Aryabhatiya.
An english translation of Bhaskara’s commentary and a mathematical supplement are presented in two volumes.
Subjects treated in Bhaskara’s commentary range from computing the volume of an equilateral tetrahedron to the interest on a loaned capital, from computations on series to an elaborate process to solve a Diophantine equation.
This volume contains an introduction and the literal translation.
The introduction aims at providing a general background for the translation and is divided in three sections: the first locates Bhaskara’s text, the second looks at its mathematical contents and the third section analyzes the relations of the commentary and the treatise.
Reviews
"This magnum opus is truly a tour de force; the reviewer quickly runs out of superlatives as he peruses the two volumes of today's source on some of the truly great works and contributions of the famous Indian mathematician and astronomer. Your reviewer has to admit that he cannot begin to do justice to the breadth and depth of material presented and the beautiful presentation in matters of printing and layout that enhances the concepts of early scholars."
- Current Engineering Practice
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Expounding the Mathematical Seed. Vol. 1: The Translation
Book Subtitle: A Translation of Bhāskara I on the Mathematical Chapter of the Āryabhatīya
Authors: Agathe Keller
Series Title: Science Networks. Historical Studies
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-7643-7592-2
Publisher: Birkhäuser Basel
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, History (R0)
Copyright Information: Birkh�user Basel 2006
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-7643-7291-0Published: 17 March 2006
eBook ISBN: 978-3-7643-7592-8Published: 22 June 2006
Series ISSN: 1421-6329
Series E-ISSN: 2296-6080
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: LIII, 172
Topics: History of Science, History of Mathematical Sciences, Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology