Indian

Mathematicians:
Bhaskaracharya
 Introduction:
Bhaskaracharya (c.600 –c.680) also
known as Bhaskara-I, was a
renowned 7th-century Indian
mathematician and astronomer.

He is often referred to as Bhaskara-

I to differentiate him from the 12th-
century mathematician Bhaskara-II.

Bhaskara-I is considered to be one

of the three pearls of Indian
Astronomy and Mathematics along
with Brahmagupta and Madhava
Samgramagrama.
 Early life:

Not much is known about his early

life except what has been inferred
from his writings.
There is a school of thought which
believes that he was born in Bori,
in Parbhani district of Maharashtra.
By and large, it is believed that
Bhaskara was born in Saurashtra,
Gujarat and later moved to Asmaka
(present-day Telangana and
Maharashtra).
Bhaskara-I is considered to be
a follower of Aryabhata.
He was tutored in astronomy
by his father.
He is considered to be the
most important scholar of
Aryabhata's astronomical
school.
He and Brahmagupta are two
of the most renowned Indian
mathematicians; both made
considerable contributions to
the study of fractions.
 Notable works:
1) Āryabhaṭīyabhāṣya (629 CE)
Bhaskaracharya gave a unique and remarkable rational
approximation of the sine function in his commentary on
Aryabhata's work. This commentary, Āryabhaṭīyabhāṣya,
written in 629 CE, is among the oldest known prose works
in Sanskrit on mathematics and astronomy.
Bhaskara I expounds on the problems of indeterminate
equations and trigonometric formulae. While discussing
Aryabhatiya, he discussed cyclic quadrilaterals.
He was the first mathematician to discuss quadrilaterals
whose four sides are unequal and nonparallel.
Bhaskara-I explains in detail Aryabhata’s method of
solving linear equations with illustrative examples.
2) Mahābhāskarīya ("Great Book
of Bhāskara") and the
Laghubhāskarīya ("Small Book of
Bhāskara").
He wrote these two astronomical works in
the line of Aryabhata's school.
Mahābhāskarīya is a work on Indian
mathematical astronomy consisting of eight
chapters. The book deals with topics such
as the longitudes of the planets, the
conjunctions among the planets and stars,
the phases of the moon, solar and lunar
eclipses, and the rising and setting of the
planets. Parts of the Mahabhaskariya were
later translated into Arabic.
 Some of Bhāskara-I's notable
contributions include:
1 2 3
He worked with the The Sine Function Numbers in the
number ZERO approximation Hindu-Arabic
value was given by Decimal System
him were written by him
4 5 6
He represented the Works of Aryabhata Bhaskaracharya
numbers in the were refined by him stated Pell
arithmetic equations even
positional system before Pell gave a
name to it
 Positional Arithmetic:
Earlier, the numbers were not written in figures, but in
words, allegories, symbols or pictorial representations.
Bhaskaracharya often explained a number by stating
‘ankair api’, (‘in figures, this reads’) and then repeating
it written in the first nine Brahmi numerals, using a
small circle for the zero.
Contrary to the word system, however, his numerals
were written in descending values from left to right
exactly as we do it today.
Presumably, Bhaskara-I did not invent it, but he was
the first to use the Brahmi numerals in a scientific
contribution in Sanskrit.
Bhaskara’s numeral system was truly positional, in
contrast to word representations, where the same
word could represent multiple values.
Sine Approximation
Formula
 In mathematics, Bhāskara I's sine
approximation formula is a rational
expression in one variable for the
computation of the approximate
values of the trigonometric sines.
 The formula is elegant and simple,
and it enables the computation of
reasonably accurate values of
trigonometric sines without the use
of geometry.
 The formula is given in verses 17–19,
chapter VII, Mahabhaskariya of
Bhāskara I.
 Impact and Legacy:
His astronomical works provide valuable historical insights and
adds to our understanding of the history and development of
astronomy.

His work on the decimal number system and use of zero laid the
foundation for the modern number system we use. This has had
a profound impact on mathematics, science and technology.

His approximation formula for sine functions is still considered

accurate for practical purposes. Such trigonometric functions
are fundamental in fields like engineering, physics and
astronomy.
On 7 June 1979, the Indian Space Research Organisation
launched the Bhāskara I satellite, named in honour of the
mathematician. Bhaskara-I and II were two satellites built by the
Indian Space Research Organisation that formed India's first low-
Earth orbit Earth observation satellite. They collected data
oceanography and hydrology. Both satellites are named after