Lilavati of Bhaskaracaarya: A Treatise of Mathematics of Vedic Tradition

by K.S. Patwardhan

In 1150 AD, Bhaskaracarya (b. 1114 AD), renowned mathematician and astronomer of Vedic tradition composed Lilavati as the first part of his larger work called Siddhanta Siromani, a comprehensive exposition of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration, number theory and related topics. Lilavati has been used as a standard textbook for about 800 years. This lucid, scholarly and literary presentation has been translated into several languages of the world.

 

Bhaskaracarya himself never gave any derivations of his formulae. N.H. Phadke (1902-1973) worked hard to construct proofs of several mathematical methods and formulae given in original Lilavati. The present work is an enlargement of his Marathi work and attempts a thorough mathematical explanation of definitions, formulae, short cuts and methodology as intended by Bhaskara. Stitches are followed by literal translations so that the reader can enjoy and appreciate the beauty of accurate and musical presentation in Lilavati. The book is useful to school going children, sophomores, teachers, scholars, historians and those working for cause of mathematics.

 

 

Prof. Narayana H. Phadke born in 1902 at Nasik ( Maharashtra) taught in Government High Schools and Colleges and after retirement served in private colleges as a senior professor. He spent a lot of time to construct proofs of Mathematical methods and formulae given in the original Lilavati and used his merge savings to publish the Marathi Version.