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Aryabhata Biography

Aryabhata was an ancient Indian mathematician-astronomer.

This biography profiles his childhood, life, works, achievements

and timeline.

Quick Facts

Nationality Indian

Religion Hinduism

Born on 476 AD

Born in Assaka

Died on 550 AD

Aryabhata was an acclaimed mathematician-astronomer. He

was born in Kusumapura (present day Patna) in Bihar, India.

His contribution to mathematics, science and astronomy is

immense, and yet he has not been accorded the recognition in

the world history of science. At the age of 24, he wrote his

famed Aryabhatiya. He was aware of the concept of zero, as

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well as the use of large numbers up to 1018. He was the first to

calculate the value for pi accurately to the fourth decimal point.

He devised the formula for calculating areas of triangles and

circles. He calculated the circumference of the earth as 62,832

miles, which is an excellent approximation, and suggested that

the apparent rotation of the heavens was due to the axial

rotation of the earth on its axis. He was the first known

astronomer to devise a continuous counting of solar days,

designating each day with a number. He asserted that the

planets shine due to the reflection of sunlight, and that the

eclipses occur due to the shadows of moon and earth. His

observations discount the flat earth concept, and lay the

foundation for the belief that earth and other planets orbit the

sun.

Childhood & Early Life

Aryabhatas birthplace is uncertain, but it may have been

in the area known in ancient texts as Ashmaka, which may

have been Maharashtra or Dhaka or in Kusumapura in

present day Patna.

Some archaeological evidence suggests that he came

from the present day Kodungallur, the historical capital

city of Thiruvanchikkulam of ancient Kerala - this theory is

strengthened by the several commentaries on him having

come from Kerala.

He went to Kusumapura for advanced studies and lived

there for some time. Both Hindu and Buddhist traditions,as well as Bhskara I, the 7th Century mathematician,

identify Kusumapura as modern Patna.

Career & Later Life

A verse mentions that Aryabhata was the head of an

institution (kulapa) at Kusumapura. Since, the University

of Nalanda was in Pataliputra, and had an astronomicalobservatory; it is probable that he was its head too.

Direct details of his work are known only from the

Aryabhatiya. His disciple Bhaskara I cal ls it Ashmakatantra

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(or the treatise from the Ashmaka).

The Aryabhatiya is also occasionally referred to as Arya-

shatas-aShTa (literally, Aryabhatas 108), because there

are 108 verses in the text. It also has 13 introductory

verses, and is divided into four pdas or chapters.

Aryabhatiyas first chapter, Gitikapada, with its large uni tsof time kalpa, manvantra, and Yuga introduces a

different cosmology. The duration of the planetary

revolutions during a mahayuga is given as 4.32 million

years.

Ganitapada, the second chapter of Aryabhatiya has 33

verses covering mensuration (ketra vyvahra),

arithmetic and geometric progressions, gnomon orshadows (shanku-chhAyA), simple, quadratic,

simultaneous, and indeterminate equations.

Aryabhatiyas thi rd chapter Kalakriyapada explains

different units of time, a method for determining the

positions of planets for a given day, and a seven-day

week with names for the days of week.

The last chapter of the Aryabhatiya, Golapada describes

Geometric/trigonometric aspects of the celestial sphere,

features of the ecliptic, celestial equator, shape of the

earth, cause of day and night, and zodiacal signs on

horizon.

He did not use a symbol for zero; its knowledge was

implicit in his place-value system as a place holder for thepowers of ten with null coefficients.

He did not use the Brahmi numerals, and continued the

Sanskritic tradition from Vedic times of using letters of the

alphabet to denote numbers, expressing quantities in a

mnemonic form.

He worked on the approximation for pi thus add four to

100, multiply by eight, and then add 62,000, the

circumference of a circle with a diameter of 20,000 can be

approached.

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It is speculated that Aryabhata used the word sanna

(approaching), to mean that not only is this an

approximation, but that the value is incommensurable or

irrational.

In Ganitapada, he gives the area of a triangle as: for a

triangle, the result of a perpendicular with the half-side is

the area . He discussed sine by the name of ardha-jya or

half-chord.

Like other ancient Indian mathematicians, he too was

interested in finding integer solutions to Diophantine

equations with the form ax + by = c; he called it the

kuaka (meaning breaking into pieces) method.

His contribution to the study of Algebra is immense. In

Aryabhatiya, Aryabhata provided elegant resul ts for the

summation of series of squares and cubes through well

tried formulae.

His system of astronomy was called the audayaka system,

in which days are reckoned from uday, dawn at lanka or

equator. His later writings, which apparently proposed

the ardha-rAtrikA, or midnight model, are lost.

He correctly believed that the earth rotates about its axis

daily, and that the apparent movement of the stars is a

relative motion caused by the rotation of the earth,

challenging the prevailing view.

In Aryabhatiya, he writes that setting and rising of

planets is a perception similar to that of someone in aboat going forward sees an unmoving (object) going

backward.

He correctly asserted that the planets shine due to the

reflection of sunlight, and that the eclipses occur due to

the shadows of moon and earth, and not caused by a

demon called Rahu!

He correctly deduced that the orbits of the planets are

ellipses; this is another great discovery not credited to him

but to Johannes Kepler (a German astronomer, born AD

1571).

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Major Works

Aryabhatas major work, Aryabhatiya, a compendium of

mathematics and astronomy, was extensively referred to in

the Indian mathematical literature, and has survived to

modern times. The Aryabhatiya covers arithmetic, algebra,

and trigonometry.

Personal Life & Legacy

Aryabhatas work was of great influence in the Indian

astronomical tradition and influenced several neighboring

cultures through translations. Some of his works are cited

by Al-Khwarizmi, and in the 10th century by Al-Biruni.

The Aryabhata Knowledge University (AKU), Patna, hasbeen established by the Government of Bihar in his honor

for the development and management of educational

infrastructure related to technical, medical, management

and allied professional education.

Indias first satellite Aryabhata is named in his honor.

At the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational

Sciences (ARIOS) near Nainital, India, research in

astronomy, astrophysics and atmospheric sciences is

conducted.

Trivia

Named after the great Indian astronomer of the same

name, Indias first satellites image used to appear on the

reverse of Indian 2 rupee banknotes.

Named after the great Indian astronomer is the remnant of

a lunar impact crater located in the eastern Sea of

Tranquility on the Moon. Submerged by lava-flow, now

only an arc-shaped r idge remains.