Mahavira, the Jain mathematician

Mahavira, a famous mathematician of mid ninth century worked in Mysore. The book by Mahavira is “Ganitha Sara Samgraha” which was designed as the updation of Bramhaguptha work he played vital role in development of operations involving place value system. Through his work he made the operations with fractions as easier one. He examined the methods of squaring numbers using special methods.

He also discussed integer solution of first degree equation by his own method kutaka. Indian mathematicians of classical period have further discussed the kutaka method which is known as algebra. Mahavira also attempted to solve certain mathematical problems which had not been studied by other Indian mathematicians. He gave an approximate formula for the area and perimeter of an ellipse

Other remarkable works of Mahavira are

  Linear pair

  Method of squaring numbers

  Special rules for use of permutations and combinations

  Volume of sphere

  Cube root of a number

  Area and Perimeter of an ellipse

It may note worthy to mention here that before the period Mahavira the mathematicians was considered as the one which was related only to astronomy and space science, but after the publication of his book Ganitha Sara Samgraha, a separate new field of practical mathematics is emerged.

It can be understood from following example

1.   I am a number,

Tell my identity!

Take me seven times over

And add a fifty!

To reach a triple century

You still need forty!

2.   Find the cost of circular table top of diameter 1.6m, if the rate of polishing is Rs.15/m²