Thread by @IWTKQuiz

Amidst all the noise, we sometimes forget India’s legit contributions to Mathematics.

Today on the birthday of Srinivasa Ramanujan aka National Mathematics Day, we take you through this journey that starts with the the way numbers are written…

#NationalMathematicsDay

The idea of representing all the numbers with just ten symbols seems "natural" today, but perhaps this system is one of the most overlooked contribution of Indian mathematics!

As the great mathematician Laplace said “The ingenious method of expressing every possible number using a set of ten symbols emerged in India. The idea seems so simple nowadays that its significance and profound importance is no longer appreciated.”

History of Indian mathematics used to begin by describing the geometry contained in the Shulba Sutras but essentials of this geometry were older being contained in the altar constructions described in much older Vedic mythology texts.

The Harappans had adopted a uniform system of weights and measures. Several scales for the measurement of length were also discovered during excavations. One was a decimal scale based on a unit of measurement of 1.32 inches (3.35 cm) which has been called the "Indus inch"

One of the main historical characters is Panini.

No, not a sandwich, but someone who achieved remarkable results in his studies of Sanskrit Grammar. Modern theoretical computer scientists working with formal language theory will recognise how modern some of Panini's ideas are.

Jaina Mathematics emerged around in 150BC - It consisted of the theory of numbers, arithmetical operations, geometry, operations with fractions, simple equations, cubic equations, quartic equations, and permutations and combinations.

AKA 10th std Maths portions.

By 500AD Aryabhatta emerged. He headed a research centre for mathematics and astronomy at Kusumapura. He set the agenda for mathematical and astronomical research in India for many centuries to come.

We dont know but he might have looked something like this.

Another mathematical and astronomical centre was at Ujjain - The most important of the mathematicians at this second centre was Varahamihira who also made important contributions to astronomy and trigonometry.

Again, we dont know but he used a cool zoom background for his calls.

The next figure of major importance at the Ujjain school was Brahmagupta near the beginning of the 7th century AD and he would make one of the most major contributions to the development of the numbers systems with his remarkable contributions on negative numbers and zero.

Brahmagupta made other major contributions in to the understanding of integer solutions to indeterminate equations and to interpolation formulas invented to aid the computation of sine tables.

Privilege, family background helped mathematics back then in India. If you were born in the "right kind" of family - you had access to a library with commentaries from Aryabhatta etc, access to the right teachers, funds..

Thank God these things are not required any more.

The other superstar in the Indian Mathematical history was Bhaskara II.
He worked on algebra, number systems, and astronomy. He wrote beautiful texts illustrated with mathematical problems, and provided the best summary of the mathematics and astronomy of the classical period.

Most feel that the end of Bhaskara II marked the end of research on Mathematics in India.

But in the 2nd half of the 14th century, Madhava who invented Taylor series and rigorous mathematical analysis inspired contributions. Madhava was from Kerala.

Kerala Mathematicians discovered formula for the ecliptic; the Newton-Gauss interpolation formula; the formula for the sum of an infinite series; Lhuilier's formula for the circumradius of a cyclic quadrilateral. Madhava calculated pi to be equal to 3.14159265359

It is without doubt that mathematics today owes a huge debt to the outstanding contributions made by Indian mathematicians over many hundreds of years.

/End Thread