Brahmagupta

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ujjain observatory

Brahmagupta ( Devanagari : ब्रह्मगुप्त; * 598 ; † after 665) was an Indian mathematician and astronomer . He headed the astronomical observatory in Ujjain and wrote two papers on mathematics and astronomy, the Brahmasphutasiddhanta in 628 and the Khandakhadyaka in 665.

The Brahmasphutasiddhanta is the earliest known text in which the mathematically complete zero is treated as a written number. Previously, in the 6th century BC The Babylonians already used the value zero as a space . In addition, Brahmagupta established rules for arithmetic with negative numbers and with the number 0 in this work , which largely correspond to our modern understanding. The biggest difference was that Brahmagupta also allowed division by 0, while in modern mathematics quotients with the divisor 0 are not defined.

His best-known results include two theorems about quadrilateral tendons named after him : Brahmagupta's theorem , which describes bisecting the sides in certain quadrilateral tendons, and Brahmagupta's formula , which calculates the area of ​​any given quadrilateral. The Brahmagupta identity also goes back to him .

See also

literature

  • David Pingree : Brahmagupta . In: Charles Coulston Gillispie (Ed.): Dictionary of Scientific Biography . tape 2 : Hans Berger - Christoph Buys Ballot . Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1970, p. 416-418 .
  • S. S: Prakash Sarasvati A critical study of Brahmagupta and his works: The most distinguished Indian astronomer and mathematician of the sixth century AD , Delhi, 1986

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Brahmagupta
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indian mathematician
DATE OF BIRTH 598
DATE OF DEATH after 665