Mathematics, Indian

Indian mathematics, the discipline of mathematics as it developed in the Indian subcontinent.

The mathematics of classical Indian civilization is an intriguing blend of the familiar and the strange. For the modern individual, Indian decimal place-value numerals may seem familiar—and, in fact, they are the ancestors of the modern decimal number system. Familiar too are many of the arithmetic and algebraic techniques involving Indian numerals. On the other hand, Indian mathematical treatises were written in verse form, and they generally do not share modern mathematics’ concern for rigorously structured formal proofs. Some historians of mathematics have deplored these aspects of the Indian tradition, seeing in them merely a habit of rote memorization and an inability to distinguish between true and false results. In fact, explanations and demonstrations were frequently added by later commentators, but these were sometimes described as “for the slow-witted.” For the traditional Indian teacher of mathematics, a demonstration was perhaps not so much a solid foundation for the student’s understanding as a crutch for the weak student’s lack of understanding. The Indian concept of ganita (Sanskrit: “computation”) was a form of knowledge whose mastery implied varied talents: a good memory, swift and accurate mental arithmetic, enough logical power to understand rules without requiring minute explanations, and a sort of numerical intuition that aided in the construction of new methods and approximations.

This article covers the history of mathematics in the Indian subcontinent from ancient times through the beginning of the colonization of the region by Great Britain. During and after the 19th century, Indian mathematics merged with the modern Western stream of mathematics. Thus, for later mathematical developments in this region, see mathematics: Mathematics in the 19th and 20th centuries.