Kerala School
Astronomy (Jyothissaasthram) was popular in Kerala even in ancient times, and their deep knowledge in that branch of science is well-known. A number of great treatises (Grantham) were written by several eminent scholars (most of them Namboothiri Brahmins) of the area at different times. It is difficult to date some of the very ancient ones such as "Devakeralam", "Sukrakeralam" (also known as "Bhrigukeralam", "Kerala Rahasyam" or "Keraleeyam" and has 10 chapters), "Vararuchi Keralam” and "Keraleeya Soothram".Jyothissaasthram was divided in to three Skandhhams (branches) - Ganitham, Samhitha and Hora. While we consider the contributions to astronomy and mathematics from Kerala in the pre modern era ,the role of Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics is highly remarkable.
Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics
The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics was a school of mathematics and astronomy founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Malabar, Kerala, South India, which included among its members: Parameshvara, Neelakanta Somayaji, Jyeshtadeva, Achyuta Pisharati,Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and Achyuta Panikkar. The school flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries and the original discoveries of the school seems to have ended with Narayana Bhattathiri (1559–1632). In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts. Their most important results—series expansion for trigonometric functions—were described in Sanskrit verse in a book by Neelakanta called Tantrasangraha, and again in a commentary on this work, calledTantrasangraha-vakhya, of unknown authorship. The theorems were stated without proof, but proofs for the series for sine, cosine, and inverse tangent were provided a century later in the work Yuktibhasa (c. 1500 – c. 1610), written in Malayalam, by Jyesthadeva, and also in a commentary on Tantrasangraha.
Their work, completed two centuries before the invention of
Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics
The Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics was a school of mathematics and astronomy founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Malabar, Kerala, South India, which included among its members: Parameshvara, Neelakanta Somayaji, Jyeshtadeva, Achyuta Pisharati,Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and Achyuta Panikkar. The school flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries and the original discoveries of the school seems to have ended with Narayana Bhattathiri (1559–1632). In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts. Their most important results—series expansion for trigonometric functions—were described in Sanskrit verse in a book by Neelakanta called Tantrasangraha, and again in a commentary on this work, calledTantrasangraha-vakhya, of unknown authorship. The theorems were stated without proof, but proofs for the series for sine, cosine, and inverse tangent were provided a century later in the work Yuktibhasa (c. 1500 – c. 1610), written in Malayalam, by Jyesthadeva, and also in a commentary on Tantrasangraha.
Their work, completed two centuries before the invention of