Ancient Indian Leaps into Mathematics

This volume presents contributions of mathematicians from ancient India to the broader context of the history of mathematics. Although the translations of some Sanskrit mathematical texts are available, Indian contributions are rarely presented in major European historical works. Some of the well-known and universally accepted discoveries from India include the concept of zero and the decimal representation of numbers.
The presentation of ideas is systematic and follows the mathematical ideas that were spread from India, China, the Islamic world, and Western Europe. Topics include the work of two well-known Indian mathematicians: Brahmagupta and Bhaskaracharya; the relationship of Indian mathematics to the mathematics of China and Greece; and transmission of ideas between the Western and non-Western world. In addition, a chapter on calendrical calculations, complete with computer programs, enables the reader to determine Indian dates. Through these articles, the contributors interweave the mathematics of India and the rest of the world.