Important works of ancient Indian mathematicians on topics
like obliquity of earth or the value of ‘pi' can now be deciphered from
classical texts using a new software application, researchers have claimed.
R Anusha,
student of Sastra University in Thanjavur, tweaked modules of an engineering
software, used for signal processing and circuit testing, to decrypt ancient
numerical systems used in classical texts authored by Indian philosophers of
yore. Their findings have been published in the science journal Current
Science.
In
ancient times, astronomers and mathematicians represented digits using
linguistic phrases, a common practice in civilisations across globe that time.
Speaking to PTI, V Ramanathan, one of the authors of the paper and a faculty at
the Chemistry Department of the University, explained that in ancient
literature and bodies of knowledge, numerals are embedded as words. In India,
philosophers, astronomers and mathematicians used three systems - Katapaydi,
Aryabhata and Bhutasankhya which used linguistic phrases to represent numbers.
In
Bhutasankhya system, words for earth and moon were used to depict ‘1' while
those for eyes, ears were used to denote ‘2'. Katapaydi and Aryabhata's system
use Devnagri consonants and vowels in a complex manner to depict numerals.
Giving an example of such numerical values in ancient scriptures, he said in
Aryabhatiya, penned by Aryabhata, there is a verse “Bha Apakramo Grihaamsha”.
Ramanathan, Fulbright fellow and member of INYAS, said the letter ‘bha'
represents number 24 and this completes the meaning of the sentence which reads
as earth's obliquity is 24 degrees. “It is very important to know the coding
procedure to correctly decode the number. The software helps in decoding the
numbers from words in an error free and fast manner,” he said. The Indian
National Young Academy of Science is an Initiative of Indian National Science
Academy.
Source: DNA-14th February,2017
