Mahavira mathematician biography assignment

Mahavira(or Mahaviracharya), a Jain by religion, is the most celebrated Indian mathematician of the 9^th century. His major work Ganitasar Sangraha was written around 850 AD and is considered 'brilliant'.

It was widely known in the South of India and written in Sanskrit due to his Jaina 'faith'. In the 11^th century its influence was still being felt when it was translated into Telegu (a regional language of the south).

Mahavira mathematician biography assignment pdf

Mahavira was aware of the works of Jaina mathematicians and also the works of Aryabhata(and commentators) and Brahmagupta, and refined and improved much of their work. What makes Mahavira unique is that he was not an astronomer, his work was confined solely to mathematics and he stands almost entirely alone in the history of Indian mathematics (at least up to the 14^th century) in this respect.

He was a member of the mathematical school at Mysore in the south of India and his major contributions to mathematics include: