10 great mathematicians of India

Great mathematicians of India | An introduction

From inventing zero to accurately calculating the distance into space, the contributions of some mathematicians are so substantial that they cannot be overlooked. The contributions of those who started from the basics are substantial enough to be overlooked.  Let’s take a look at the list of great mathematicians of India and know how their contributions changed the course of mathematics.

Srinivasa Ramanujan

A mathematical prodigy from India, Srinivasa Ramanujan made contributions in the fields of elliptic functions, continuing fractions, partial sums, products of hypergeometric series, and infinite series. He also made significant contributions to the Hardy-Ramanujan Littlewood circle technique in number theory.

He undertook an extensive investigation to determine the value of Euler’s constant. His is the first Indian to make it to the Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge University. 

He continued his research there with the help of other colleagues and contributed significantly to the field of mathematics. 

Brahmagupta

Brahmagupta is yet another great mathematician of India who is well-known throughout the world for his contributions to the disciplines of geometry and number theory.  

His ground-breaking revolution resulted in the establishment of the current form of mathematics‘ number system. Brahmagupta dedicated a significant portion of his work to geometry and trigonometry. One of his remarkable discoveries included the theorem for cyclic quadrilaterals.

Aryabhatta

Math, astronomy, and science are just a few of the subjects that Aryabhatta excelled in. He created the “Aryabhatiya,” a comprehensive book that covered a wide variety of integral themes in mathematics, such as trigonometry and algebra. 

He was the first to offer an approximation of the value of pi and to make several other mathematical deductions. His contribution to mathematics was unique as the originator of the Number system.

Raj Chandra Bose

Raj Chandra Bose was a statistician and a great mathematician from India who pushed against all odds to pursue his vocation. Bose’s contributions to statistics are being admired around the world.

Raj Chandra Bose is well-known for his work on design theory and error-correcting codes theory. The name of class BCH code is after him. He made substantial contributions along with S.S. Shrikhande and E.T. Parker.

Shakuntala Devi

She is the most famous female Indian mathematician of all time. Shakuntala is the lengendary human-computer for her quick calculation ability without the help of a calculator.

One of her prominent achievements includes competing with a computer in Dallas to see who could give the cube root of 188138517 faster, and winning. She then went on to compete against UNIVAC, the world’s fastest computer, to calculate the 23rd root of a 201-digit number, which she again won. 

In 1977, Shakuntala Devi published a book about mental calculations – ‘Figuring: The Joy of Number’. In the same year, she published ‘The World of Homosexuals,’ India’s first book about homosexuality. 

D.R. Kaprekar

Dattatreya Ramchandra Kaprekar was a teacher after graduating from the famous University of Mumbai. He contributed to a variety of areas, including magic squares, repeating decimals, and numbers with unusual characteristics, among others. 

A constant is also named after D. R. Kaprekar.

C.R. Rao

C. R. Rao was a great mathematical statistician of India who is popular for his estimate theory. He earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Andhra University before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in statistics from Calcutta University. 

He is also credited with the discovery of the Cramer-Rao bound, Rao-Blackwellization, quadratic entropy, orthogonal arrays, Lagrange multiplier test, and the Rao-Blackwell theorem. The phrase Rao-Blackwellization comes from the Cramér-Rao inequality and the Rao-Blackwell theorem. These findings were game-changing, and they now include in almost every textbook on mathematical statistics.

P.C. Mahalanobis

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, on June 29, 1893. A well-known Indian scientist and applied statistician, who is prominent for developing the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure, and serving on the first Planning Commission of independent India. 

He also helped to develop large-scale sample surveys and formed the Indian Statistical Institute.

Satyendra Nath Bose

Satyendra Nath Bose was born in Kolkata, India, on January 1, 1894. He specialized in theoretical physics and was a well-known Indian physicist. He is primarily famous for his early 1920s work on quantum mechanics, which laid the groundwork for Bose-Einstein statistics and the Bose-Einstein condensate hypothesis. 

In the year 1954, the Indian government bestowed on him The Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor. Bose’s name is given to the class of particles that follow Bose-Einstein statistics, known as bosons.

Bhaskara

Yet another name from among the great mathematicians of India was Bhaskara. He was born in Bijapur, Karnataka, in the year 1114. He was an Indian mathematician and astronomer who is ‌medieval India’s best mathematician. 

His principal work, Siddhanta Shiromani (Crown of Treatises), set the groundwork for several ideas in arithmetic, algebra, planetary mathematics, and sphere mathematics. Before Newton and Leibniz, it is estimated that he might have been the first to think of the differential coefficient and differential calculus.

 

What we have to say

The current developments in math and science have only resulted from the foundational research done by the great mathematicians in India. 

The current technical ecosystem and the advancements in the STEM field thrive on the contributions made by these mathematicians and the course that follows.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog. In case of any queries, reach out to us or drop a comment below!

Liked this blog? Read next: The Father of Mathematics | 6 things you need to know about him

FAQ’s

Q1. Who invented the number zero?

Answer – An ancient Indian astronomer and mathematician named Brahmagupta invented zero in the year 628.

Q2. Who is known as the father of Indian mathematics?

Answer – Aryabhatta is known as the father of Indian mathematics.

Q3. Who was the first mathematician in India?

Answer – Aryabhatta was the first mathematician in India.