Mathematics in India has a rich history going back to over thousands of years and thrived for centuries before similar advances were made in the rest of the world, said chief executive of Shri Veda Bharathi and former deputy director (computers) NIMS R.V.S.S. Avadhanulu.
He was delivering a lecture on the foundations of mathematics in ancient India on ‘National Mathematics Day 2021’ at GITAM in Hyderabad on Thursday. This was part of the event organised by the Department of Mathematics, School of Science, to commemorate the birth anniversary of legendary Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
“Ancient and medieval Indian mathematical works were all composed in Sanskrit. It usually consisted of a section of sutras in which a set of rules or problems were stated,” he said, and recounted the classical period of Indian mathematics and the contributions made by scholars such as Aryabhatta, Varaha Mihira, Bhaskara I & II, Vishnugupta, Siddhasena, Manitha, Srijidhwaja, Kalyanavarma, Simhatilakasuri, Kalakacharya, Mahaviracharya, Bhatotpala, Devaswami, Jiva Sharma, Satyacharya and Prithuyasas.
Dr. Avadhanulu highlighted five of India’s great inventions — zero, decimal number system, binary numbers, progression and infinity by quoting Sanskrit slokas.
