Some 1300 years ago in Karnataka there lived a genius who wrote "Gaṇitasārasan̄graha" (which is earliest text devoted entirely to mathematics)
The man who's work later borrowed by Arabs & Europeans
Thread on "Mahāvīracharya" astounding but forgotten legacy
Mahāvirachārya was patronised by rashtrakuta king amoghavarasha
His book"Gaṇita-sāra-saṅgraha"is earliest text devoted entirely to Mathematics
He has described the currently used method of calculating(LCM)of given numbers.The same method was used in Europe later in1500CE
Mahavira wrote "Gaṇita-sāra-saṅgraha" (GSS) in 8th century CE which contains some 1100 slokās & contains elementary topics in arithmetic , algebra , geometry , measurements , logic , number theory , dynamical systems etc
A sheer mathematical genius
He was devout jain
His magnum opus "Ganit sara sangraha " start with a sloka bowing to the glory of the jinas
"संख्याज्ञानप्रदिपेन जैनेंद्रन महत्वेशा,
प्रकाशितम जगतसर्व येन तम प्रणमाम्यहम"
He also praised his predecessor aryabhata , brahmagupta & other greats in his works
The importance & popularity of "Gaṇita-sāra-saṅgraha"was so huge that it enjoyed statues of most important textbook of mathematics in South Indian for over 3 centuries
A large no of manuscript copies of
"Gaṇita-sāra-saṅgraha"whr discovered in Kerala shows it's popularity
Mahāvira was the world's first mathematician to give the general formula for n C r in combinations .
Further he was one of the first mathematician to have given an approximate expression for the circumference of an ellipse(aayata vritta)
Mahāvira also made an important remark in connection with "root of negative number" .
He clearly mentioned in his work that a "negative number cannot have a square root" . This is the first remark on clear recognition of the imaginary quantities in mathematics .
He was the first one to write arithmetic in present day form , he described in details the current method of finding lowest common multiple. therefore, it was an invention not by John napier but by our very own scholar mahaviracharya in its actual form.
Mahaviracharya work was an important link in the continuous chain of Indian mathematics ,it acquired pride place particularly in South India
His work was recognised by great chalukyan ruler Raja Raja narendra who got it translated in telugu by mathematician pavuluri mallana
The credit tht Mahavira rightly deserves for discovery of various methods in the field of mathematics hs gone almost unnoticed by historians
Mahavira by his sheer achievements in several branches of mathematics has a distinct position in the history of indian & world mathematics
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