Author:
Publication: Threadreaderapp.com
Date: June 20, 2022
URL: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1538758763317841920.html
1/N
Mahaviracharya was a brilliant Indian Jain mathematician & astronomer. He was a royal mathematician in the court of the Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha Nripatunga.
2/N
His groundbreaking mathematical treatise “Ganita Sara Samagraha” is estimated to be written no later than 850 AD.
3/N
It includes precise definition of terms related to time, space, matter & provides recipes for summation of series, 2D/3D measurements, computation with fractions & trigonometry.
4/N
Each of the 9 chapters (except the first one) contain numerous examples to illustrate practical applications of the mathematical axioms and recipes.
5/N
In addition to the mathematical brilliance, what I found really amazing is the usage of Sanskrit language itself in the “Ganita Sara Samagraha” work.
6/N
Even though the work is of profound mathematical importance, the Sanskrit language used here is highly poetic.
7/N
The illustrative examples contained in the book are expressed in the form of a prose which paints a mental image with stunningly flowing Sanskrit sentences.
8/N
Below I am giving an example that the book mentions regarding how to solve problems with fractions
9/N
Attached are the Sanskrit verses from the text for the specific example from Chapter 4 Miscellaneous Problems on Fractions - verse 17 to 22
10/N
Below I have provided the essence of the mathematical example translated in English.
11/N
Mahaviracharya, the genius, took advantage of the fact that Sanskrit is a complete language. Even for illustrating mathematical problems, ancient Indian mathematicians used highly sophisticated Sanskrit that evoked poetic imagery in the learner's mind.
12/N: References
|