Bhaskara

Bhaskara (bŭs'kuru) [key], called Acarya (uchär'yu) [key][Skt.,=learned], b. 1114, Indian mathematician and astronomer. According to the custom, he put his learned treatises into verse, adding, however, explanations in prose. His work Siddhantasiromani includes chapters on arithmetic, algebra, and astronomy that have been translated into English. He gives the first systematic exposition of the decimal system. By mentioning such items as rates of interest and the prices of slaves, he gives some indication of economic conditions in his day. He was at the head of the observatory at Ujjain.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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