Aryabhatta: The Master of Mathematics
Aryabhatta was the first mathematician and astronomer of India. He had acquired vast knowledge in the field of mathematics. He also discovered several things for which Indians feel proud of even now. His renowned discoveries were algebraic identities, trigonometric functions, the value of pi, and the place value system, etc. Aryabhatta wrote many famous books which are treated as Bible in Mathematics. Many youngsters were inspired by Aryabhatta in the field of mathematics. His contribution to society is highly acclaimed to date.
Early Life
Aryabhatta was born in 475 A.D. in an unknown place. But according to his book ‘Aryabhatiya’, he lived in Kusumpura, the modern-day Patna. The archaeologists hold this belief till today that he continued his studies in Kusumpura. The reason behind the beliefs is his significant works of astronomy were found in Kusumpura.
Therefore, it can be believed that Aryabhatta spent most of his life in this place. Besides this, it is believed by some historians that he was the head of the Nalanda University in Kusumpura. All of the aforementioned theories are based on guesses and hypotheses because no proper evidence is there except the books written by Aryabhatta. Some of the records were lost and are not found until now.
Contributions of Aryabhatta
The major contribution of Aryabhatta was in the field of mathematics. Various trigonometric functions were discovered by him which are very much relevant in modern-day mathematics. Aryabhatta’s invention regarding the value of ‘pi’ eradicates the complications in mathematics. But, his invention of place value and zero is the masterstroke in the domain of mathematics. There are many astronomical theories written in the book ‘Aryabhatiya’.
Aryabhatta was not only efficient in Mathematics but he also had immense knowledge of astronomy. According to his heliocentric theory, planets revolve around the sun. He calculated the speed of the various planets concerning the Sun with the help of his theory. The sidereal rotation was also calculated by him. One of his major discoveries in the field of astronomy was the sidereal year which states that it should be 365 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds in a year. This deviates from the present-day value by only 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
It was Aryabhatta who correctly discovered the fact that the earth rotates on its axis. He also anticipated the geocentric model of the solar system which said the earth to be the centre of the universe. The sun, the moon, and the planets rotate around it. Solar and lunar eclipses were also described in his book. The fact that solar eclipse and lunar eclipse take place due to the shadow-casting of the earth and the moon was explained in his book.
It can be said that the approximations made by Aryabhatta in the field of astronomy were very much accurate. The core of the computational paradigm is generated by the theories of Aryabhatta. As Indian citizens, we should feel proud of Aryabhatta because he had invented such things which can’t be imagined in the present day without the facilities of modern equipment.
The Legacy of Aryabhatta
Aryabhatta left a legacy of wisdom not only in Indian culture but also in the neighbouring cultures. His astronomical observations were very believed and translated into various languages of the neighbouring countries. The modern world discoveries proved that he was right about the position of the sun being in the centre of the solar system and his theory on all the planets revolving around the centre. Aryabhatta also gave a brief introduction to why and how a lunar eclipse takes place. His legacy of knowledge is very well praised in the modern world for all the contributions he made in cosmology.
Conclusion
Aryabhatta is very well known as the father of Indian Mathematics. He made various mathematical discoveries. The most well-known is the value of pi. Aryabhatta is the one who gave all the digits of the value of pi. These discoveries may seem minor but they did change the course of the development of concepts of a complex subject like mathematics.
FAQs on Aryabhatta Essay In English
1. What was discovered by Aryabhatta?
Aryabhatta is one of the most renowned Indian mathematicians. He was the one who formulated the first 10 decimal places. He also gave the algorithms that are used for obtaining a square root and a cubic root. He also explained how we should use the decimal number system. He introduced the trigonometric system and the entire value of pi. Aryabhatta is also a very famous astronomer. He was able to prove that the sun is located at the centre of the solar system and all the planets revolve around the sun.
2. Did Aryabhatta discover ‘zero’?
Yes, Aryabhatta discovered zero. Aryabhatta gave the digit ‘0’. For this discovery, Aryabhatta is considered immortal. Not only zero, but Aryabhatta also made many other contributions in mathematics. He is also known as the Father of Indian mathematics due to his contributions. Aryabhatta discovered zero by using it in the decimal system. He made the concept of zero and used it in large numbers. Aryabhatta made many more discoveries in mathematics such as trigonometric equations, the value of pi, equations on mathematical progression, and quadratic equations.
3. How important are Aryabhatta’s discoveries to the modern world?
All of Aryabhatta’s discoveries are of utmost importance to the modern world. Whether it is the discovery of the position of the sun in the solar system or equations in mathematics. Aryabhatta did commendable work that led to so many discoveries that are the base of so many technologies of the modern world. The most important discovery is the discovery of zero, the value of pi, and the decimal system. This solved many mathematical theories and led to many modern-day equations used to solve many problems.
4. Which book did Aryabhatta write?
Aryabhatta authored various books. His books are mostly on mathematics and astronomy. Aryabhatta’s most renowned book is Aryabhatiya. Aryabhatiya talks about mathematics and astronomy. This book is written in Sanskrit, though it is available in translated texts. This book is divided into four sections and has a total of 121 verses. This book gives brief information on cosmology and mathematics. In cosmology, Aryabhatta gives information on the location of the sun and the planets. In mathematics, there are verses on mathematical progression, geometry, and quadratic equations.
5. What is the education of Aryabhatta?
Aryabhatta completed his education at the ancient University of Nalanda. He, later on, served as the head of that same Institute. The University of Nalanda was located in Pataliputra in that AD. During his stay at the university, he explained how the sun is located at the centre of the solar system and the planets revolve around it. He later relocated to Bihar where he continued his studies at one of the study centres in Kusumapura. He settled in Bihar and spent most of his life there.