Lilavati Of Bhaskaracarya

Aryabhata (b. 476 AD) is credited for his pioneering work of extracting Tantra Sastra, (i.e. astronomy and mathematics) from Vedas (Generally known as the oldest embodiment of knowledge) to the level of common usage as he appropriately says in his Aryabhatiyam.

In 1150 AD, Bhaskaracarya (b. 1114 AD), renowned mathematician and astronomer of Vedic tradition composed Lilavati as the first part of this 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. Its lucid, scholarly and literary presentation has attracted several cultural areas and it was widely used and commented and 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 intend 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 the cause of mathematics.

About the Author

Professor Krishnaji S. Patwardhan was born in 1911 at Ratnagiri (Maharashtra). He did his B. Sc. In Mathematics-Physics from Bombay University. He taught for thirty years at Sheth Anandilal Podar High School. He has written several Textbooks on Mathematics and has translated a book on Lobschevskian geometry from English into Marathi. He died in 1986.

Professor S. A. Naimpally was born in 1931 at Bombay. He has written one textbook, and has (co) authored three research-level monographs and several educational institutions in India and abroad.

Professor S. L. Singh was born in 1943 at village Chowkhara of Mirzapur from University of Allahabad and the Doctor's degree from Kumaun University. He has (co) authored two books for secondary students. He has taught at in several educational institutions of U. P. (India) and is now Professor of Mathematics at Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Hardwar (India).