Aryabhatta
was born in 476CE in Patliputra in Magadha, (modern Patna) in Bihar. He was the
great mathematician-astronomer from the classical age of Indian mathematics and
Indian astronomy. He is the man who invented “0” and helped the world solving
its many issues. It is believed that Aryabhatta was born in region between
Narmada and Godavri of central India. But exactly nothing is known about his
birth place.
Education
According
to some researches and studies it was found that at some point of time,
Aryabhatta went to Kusumapura for advanced studies and lived there. He studied
both Hindu as well as Buddhist tradition there. It is believed that Aryabhatta
might have been the head of the Nalanda University, as it had an astronomical
observatory at the time. Aryabhatta set up an observatory at the Sun temple in
Taregana, Bihar.
Career
Aryabhatta’s
major work is comprises of Mathematics and Astronomy. Most of the Aryabhatta’s
work can be known from Aryabhatiya. His work in mathematics and astronomy is
extensively referred in Indian mathematic literature and able to be part of
modern mathematics also. If we see the mathematical section of Aryabhatiya , we
will see his work in arithmetic, algebra, plane trigonometry and spherical
trigonometry. Along with these major sections of mathematics it also contains
the work done by him in continued fraction, quadratic equations, sums-of-power
series and sine tables.
The
Aryabhatiya also contains description of various astronomy instruments invented
by Aryabhatta like the gnomon (shanku-yantra), a shadow instrument
(chhaya-yantra), possibly angle-measuring devices, semicircular and circular
(dhanur-yantra / chakra-yantra), a cylindrical stick yasti-yantra, an
umbrella-shaped device called the chhatra-yantra, and water clocks of at least
two types, bow-shaped and cylindrical. He also described the Motion of Solar
System, details of Eclipses, Sidereal Rotation periods and Heliocentrism.
It
is also believed that some of the Aryabhatta’s work of that time is lost.
At
the End
Aryabhatta
passed away in 550 CE. He was 74 years at the time. But exact locations of his
last period of life and whereabouts are still unknown to the world.
