Brahmagupta

Lore & Background

He was the son of Jishnugupta and a Hindu Shaivite. He lived and worked in Bhillamāla for much of his life, a capital of the second-largest kingdom of Western India and a center for mathematics and astronomy. He became an astronomer of the Brahmapaksha school and studied the five traditional Siddhantas as well as the work of other astronomers including Aryabhata I, Latadeva, and Varahamihira. Later he moved to Ujjaini, Avanti, a major astronomy center, and at age 67 composed the Khaṇḍakhādyaka, a practical manual for students.

Reader's Guide

Brahmagupta's significance lies in his formalization of zero as a number and his clear description of the quadratic formula in the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta. His works were translated into Arabic by Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Fazārī under the names Sindhind and Arakhand, leading to the spread of the decimal number system. The mathematician Al-Khwarizmi wrote a text based on these translations, which was later translated into Latin, helping disseminate Indian arithmetic and algorithms worldwide. Brahmagupta's mathematical advances were carried on by Bhāskara II, who called him the 'gem of the circle of mathematicians.' Commentaries on his works were written by Prithudaka Svamin, Lalla, and Bhattotpala. The historian of science George Sarton called him 'one of the greatest scientists of his race and the greatest of his time.' His algebra, including solutions for linear and quadratic equations, used syncopated notation similar to Diophantus, possibly from a common Babylonian source.

Did You Know?

• Brahmagupta was the first person to formalize the concept of zero for nothing in mathematics.
• His works were translated into Arabic by Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Fazārī.
• He was a Hindu Shaivite and the son of Jishnugupta.