Overview

It is widely believed that aside from the achievements of the ancient Greeks, Babylonians, and Egyptians, there was little progress in the area of early mathematics. In fact, many leading historians in this field have echoed that sentiment by either minimizing or ignoring the contributions of other cultures. However, India and its mathematicians were extremely important in the development of mathematical thought during antiquity, despite the reluctance of some authorities to question their contributions.

The contribution of early Indian mathematicians to contemporary mathematics cannot be overstated. Certainly their greatest contribution is our system of numbers. Since nearly all theories, principles, and constructs in this discipline rely on the number system, its development has had a tremendous impact on the field of contemporary mathematics. The novel Indian numerals were subsequently adopted by the Arabs, which eventually became known to Europe...