His most famous work, Aryabhatiya is a detailed text on mathematics and
astronomy. The mathematical part of the Aryabhatiya covers arithmetic,
algebra and trigonometry. It also contains continued fractions,
quadratic equations, sums of power series and a table of sines.
Aryabhatta is believed to have written at least three texts on astronomy
and wrote some free stanzas as well. Aryabhatta was a genius and all his
theories continue to surprise many mathematicians of the present age.
The Greeks and the Arabs developed some of his works to suit their
needs.
He wrote that if 4 is added to 100, multiplied by 8, added to
62,000 and then divided by 20,000, the answer will be equal to the
circumference of a circle of diameter 20,000. This calculates to 3.1416
close to the actual value of Pi (3.14159). He was also the one who
created the formula (a + b)²= a² + b ²+ 2ab.
His other work Arya Siddhanta deals with astronomical calculation
and this is evident through the writings of Aryabhatta's contemporary,
Varahamihira and later mathematicians and commentators, including
Brahmagupta and Bhaskara I. It contains descriptions of several
astronomical instruments like gnomon (shanku yantra) ,a shadow
instrument (chhaya yantra), possibly angle-measuring devices, a
semicircular and circular instrument (dhanur yantra/ chakra yantra), a
cylindrical stick( vasti yantra), an umbrella-shaped device called the
chatra yantra and water clocks of at least two types - bow-shaped and
cylindrical.
Aryabhata was aware that the earth rotates on its axis and that the
earth rotates round the sun and the moon moves round the earth. He
discovered the positions of the nine planets and related them to their
rotation round the sun. He also knew about the eclipse of the sun, moon,
about the cause of day and night, the contours of the earth and the 365
days as the exact length of the year. Aryabhata also revealed that the
circumference of the earth is 39,968 km. According to modern-day
scientific calculations it is 40,072 km. Solar and lunar eclipses were
also scientifically explained by Aryabhata. India's first satellite,
Aryabhata was named in his honour.
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