• DOI:10.1086/368443
• Corpus ID: 144760421

On the Use of Series in Hindu Mathematics

@article{Singh1936OnTU,
  title={On the Use of Series in Hindu Mathematics},
  author={A. N. Singh},
  journal={Osiris},
  year={1936},
  volume={1},
  pages={606 - 628}
}

• A. N. Singh
• Published 1 January 1936
• Mathematics
• Osiris

INTRODUCTION.-The object of the present paper is to give an account of the use of series in Hindu Mathematics. For this purpose the Hindu literature, mathematical as well as nonmathematical, has been examined. Particular instances of the arithmetic and geometric series have been found to occur in Vedic literature as early as 2000 B.C. From Jaina literature it appears that the Hindus were in possession of the formulae for the sum of the arithmetic and the geometric series as early as the fourth century B.C., or earlier. The earliest known Hindu work on mathematics available to us is a mutilated copy of what is known as the Bakhshdli Manuscript which contains a work on Pdtiganita composed about 300 A.D. (i) Amongst other works which contain an account of series may be mentioned the Aryabhatiya (499 A.D.), the Brdhma-sphuta Siddhdnta (628 A.D.), the Trigatikd (750 A.D.), the Ganita-sarasathgraha (850 A.D.), the Mahdsiddhdnta (950 A.D.), the Lildvati (I I5o A.D.), the Ganita Kaumudi (I350 A.D.), etc. In all these works series is treated as one of the fundamental operations (sred~i vyavahdra), and a separate section is generally devoted to the formulae and problems relating to series. In Europe too series was looked upon as one of the fundamental operations (2),