Culture and History of Mathematics

This volume is a compilation of scholarly contributions that highlight the achievements of the twelfth century Indian astronomer Bhāskarācārya. The articles arose from an International Conference held in 2014 to celebrate the 900th birth anniversary of this legendary scholar.

Besides a detailed introduction, the volume comprises of twenty articles, and is divided into seven parts. Part I presents an account of the Caṅgadeva inscription, with details about Bhāskara's lineage and his extraordinary scholarship, and also examines the origins of the famous 'Legend of Līlāvatī. Bhāskarācārya's mathematical contributions contained in his famous works the Līlāvatī and the Bījagaṇita are highlighted in Parts II and III. His astronomical contributions are surveyed in the following three parts. Parts IV and V investigate aspects of his famous astronomical work, the Siddhāntaśiromaṇi, whereas Part VI deals with his astronomical handbook, the Karaṇakutūhala. Finally, Part VII, considers the transmission and circulation of the text in the Mughal period as well as the relevance and suitability of his works in modern pedagogy.

With its extensive and comprehensive coverage, this volume would be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of astronomy and mathematics.

As this volume is ground breaking in its coverage and comprehensiveness and attests to but one of the many illustrious thinkers in Indian history, it would be a very useful companion to anyone interested in the history of astronomy.