HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS IN

INDIA,INDIA’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO
THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD
MATHEMATICS
● Historical Indian mathematicians
India has a long history of contributions to Mathematical theories and concepts.
Great Indian Mathematicians introduced the world to the concept of ‘zero’ and
developed sophisticated techniques to solve equations with the theory of
fractions.
As we look forward to the next years of development, it’s a fitting time to
remember geniuses who contributions to Mathematics that had global impacts.
1. Aryabhata
In the history of Indian Mathematics, Aryabhata is perhaps one of the most
consequential figures. He developed the approach for solving linear indeterminate
equations by presenting the differential equation of the sine function in its infinite
difference form.
2. Srinivasa Ramanujan
Srinivasa Ramanujan’s contributions to ematical theories like the analytical
theory of numbers, elliptic functions, continuous fractions, and infinite series
are considered noteworthy in the world of ematics. His theories have
contributed to transforming the Mathematics of the 21st century.
3. Satyendra Nath Bose
Satyendra Nath Bose was facilitated with Padma Vibhushan and is known
for his valuable contributions to Science and Mathematics. His ematical
research that he sent to Einstein led to the discovery of the Bose-
Einstein condensate phenomenon (Physics theory), another vital
contribution to modern Theoretical Physics
4. Shakuntala Devi
Popularly known as the ‘Human-Computer’, Smt. Shakuntala Devi was an
Indian ematician, who could solve enormous calculations without using a
calculator. She toured around the globe showcasing her arithmetical talents,
making India proud.

Not every Indian is aware of these great personalities and their contribution
to the world of Mathematics. They laid the foundations of a ematical
structure in India, questioning theories and providing logic and reasonable
thinking for our understanding of modern ematics. Education is the way
forward, and India’s focus on Mathematics and Science is paving the way
for future developments, establishing plans for making the nation
self-reliant.
India’s Contribution to the World of Mathematics
The Indian contribution to world advancement has been largely
unacknowledged and unappreciated. Ancient Indians made significant
discoveries that still serve as a guiding light today. The intellectual
prowess of Indians and their advancements in various fields were widely
regarded as a source of pride. A diverse range of fields from science to
math to astronomy to medicine to architecture to drama have been
impacted by the intellectual contribution of Indians. The contributions
made have benefited the global community in a way that continues to be
at the center of present scientific development. In reality, foreigners have
misappropriated the knowledge they discovered to dismiss our knowledge
and claim it as their own
Mathematics and Indians go hand-in-hand, and there are countless examples of
this. There is no doubt that India has had a profound impact on the world of
mathematics. As Albert Einstein, once famously quoted, “We owe a lot to the
Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific
discovery could have been made.

● Western world’s reluctance

In reality, the western world has never been as science-friendly as it portrays itself
to be today. Who hasn’t heard about Galileo being imprisoned for following science
as a deviant? The Abrahamic faiths have always been dominated by religious
dogmas, and rebelling against them was considered blasphemy. As per Sanatan
Dharma questioning has been a fundamental component of our Dharma and
encouraged. The attitude of encouraging healthy discussions and debates enabled
our ancestors to discover path-breaking scientific [Link] have also been
contributions from Indians in fields such as calculus,trigonometry,arithmetic etc .
Dating back as far as 1200 BC, mathematics was considered a part of the
Vedas. Numbers were expressed as powers of ten in Vedic texts. Using
powers of ten as a representation for numbers contributed to the development
of decimal place values. As early as the third century B.C., there was
evidence of Brahmi numerals. The numeral system is based on these
numbers, which serve as a guiding light worldwide.
● Indian Contributions :- Numerous references have been found for
zeros that have an irreplaceable existence in the scientific and technical
world. The recently dated first recorded zeros, which were documented in
the Bakhshali manuscript, were just simple placeholders, to help
distinguish 100 from 10. Aryabhatta’s contribution to the mathematical
world enabled proper financial accounting and transparency in the record
details. Zero basically helped democratize mathematics.
It was not surprising that Westerners found it difficult to use zero, negative
numbers, or pi. Nearly all aspects of science rely on calculus to measure
rates of change. Modern physics is built on the foundation of calculus. The
importance of zero and its application was first realized by Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz. Additionally, he applied the negatives in a systematic manner to
develop calculus by the late 17th century. But the work Leibniz
accomplished was already done by Bhaskara, 500 years ago.
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BHASKAR TO ALGEBRA, ARITHMETIC,
GEOMETRY, AND TRIGONOMETRY ARE ALSO NOTEWORTHY. FOR
EXAMPLE, HE DEVELOPED THE SOLUTION TO CERTAIN
DIOPHANTINE EQUATIONS, WHICH TOOK EUROPE MANY
CENTURIES TO FIGURE OUT.
A system alien to European culture was that of negative numbers, which
Brahmagupta fully functionalized. His definitions of positive and negative
numbers were categorized as fortunes and debts, respectively. Brahmagupta
also derived that “a debt multiplied by a fortune is a debt” – a positive number
multiplied by a negative number is a negative number. Indian mathematics
and scholars proved to be far ahead of western ones Mathematicians in
Europe refused to accept negative numbers as valuable. There was a
widespread belief that negative numbers were strange. According to them,
numbers are created solely for counting, and negative numbers cannot be
counted. As a result of western dominance and biased narratives, Indian’s
talent, research, and works have been pushed into oblivion.
It was in the 7th century that the Brahmasputha Siddhanta published the
first written proof for working with zero. Brahmagupta mentioned in his text
the equations for solving quadratic equations and computing square roots.
The relevancy of this can be adjudged by the fact that it is still taught to
children, worldwide.

The renaissance in the west is what sparked the growth of scientific

temperament in the west. A few western and Arabic mathematicians
though have recognized Indian mathematicians’ skills and credited them
for the same.
A Spanish monk Vigila mentioned in his book Codex Vigilantus “subtle
talent of the Indians” & “all other races yield to them in arithmetic and
geometry”. The oldest extant numerals in Europe (without 0) are in his
Codex Vigilanus 976 CE, via Muslims in Spain, who got them from
Gerbert of Aurillac. Arabic mathematicians, inscriptions, and manuscripts
have highlighted that Arabic numbers originated from India. Books like
Al-Khwarizmi, and Al-Kindi have specific mentions regarding the use of
Hindu numbers. Al-Biruni, who came to India hundreds of years ago,
stated “The numerical signs which we use are derived from the finest
forms of the Hindus signs”.
● Conclusion
Now is the time for India to regain its former glory and be given the due
recognition it has long deserved. Indian mathematicians have been key to
today’s technological advancements, as they formed the foundation. There was
always a higher level of sophistication in Indian culture compared to the culture
of Europe in the dark ages. The likes of Ramanujan, Mahalanobis, Ashutosh
Mukherjee, C R Rao, Mangala Narlikar, Shakuntala Devi, and T. A. Sarasvati
Amma, etc. have contributed greatly to our understanding. Indians have made
an enormous contribution to the world over the past centuries, and they fuel the
world’s growth that continues today. There is no denying the fact that Indians
are still major contributors to the field of science and mathematics, and it is all
the more imperative to emphasize this.