Getting to know Aryabhata
It is likely that Aryabhata was born in 476 in Kusumapura, now known as Patna, Bihar in India.
Education and Teaching
Although there are not any clear records it is assumed as fact that he went to Kusumapura, but it is not known when. He is listed as being the head of an institution thought to be the Nalanda University. It is also likely that he organized a sun temple at Taregana.
Aryabhatiya
This was written in verse couplet and covers a number of aspects of astronomy and mathematics. Arayabhata introduces it with phonemic number notation and astronomical tables before setting out three sections – Ganita, Kala-kriya and Gola. This means Mathematics, Time calculations and Sphere.
Ganita
This explains how to work out square and cubic roots using algorithms as well as naming the first 10 decimal places. He uses TT – 3.1416 to develop properties of triangles and with the help of the Pythagorean theory, states two ways to construct a table of sines. He also details linear equations, algebra and ratios.
Kala-Kriya
It was astronomy that is covered here and the topics covered include units of time, epicycle models of how the planets move and a theory covering “lords of the hours and days.”
Gola
Here Aryabhata turns to spherical astronomy. By doing this it became possible to predict the lunar and solar eclipses and to understand that it is thanks to the spherical Earth’s rotation that causes the westward motion of the stars. Aryabhata died in India in 1550 and has left details of his work in the books Aryabhatiya and Āryabhaṭīya of Āryabhaṭa
Lasting Fame
It is due to the work that was carried out by Aryabhata that the Indian Government named the satellite that they launched in 1975 after him. He is also remembered through the inter-school Aryabhata Maths Competition