Aryabhata

Biography
Aryabhata was an ancient Indian mathematician-astronomer.
This biography profiles his childhood, life, works, achievements
and timeline.
Quick Facts
Nationality

Indian

Religion

Hinduism

Born on

476 AD

Born in

Assaka

Died on

550 AD

Aryabhata was an acclaimed mathematician-astronomer. He

was born in Kusumapura (present day Patna) in Bihar, India.
His contribution to mathematics, science and astronomy is
immense, and yet he has not been accorded the recognition in
the world history of science. At the age of 24, he wrote his
famed Aryabhatiya. He was aware of the concept of zero, as

well as the use of large numbers up to 1018. He was the first to

calculate the value for pi accurately to the fourth decimal point.
He devised the formula for calculating areas of triangles and
circles. He calculated the circumference of the earth as 62,832
miles, which is an excellent approximation, and suggested that
the apparent rotation of the heavens was due to the axial
rotation of the earth on its axis. He was the first known
astronomer to devise a continuous counting of solar days,
designating each day with a number. He asserted that the
planets shine due to the reflection of sunlight, and that the
eclipses occur due to the shadows of moon and earth. His
observations discount the flat earth concept, and lay the
foundation for the belief that earth and other planets orbit the
sun.
Childhood & Early Life
Aryabhatas birthplace is uncertain, but it may have been
in the area known in ancient texts as Ashmaka, which may
have been Maharashtra or Dhaka or in Kusumapura in
present day Patna.
Some archaeological evidence suggests that he came
from the present day Kodungallur, the historical capital
city of T hiruvanchikkulam of ancient Kerala - this theory is
strengthened by the several commentaries on him having
come from Kerala.
He went to Kusumapura for advanced studies and lived
there for some time. Both Hindu and Buddhist traditions,
as well as Bhskara I, the 7th Century mathematician,
identify Kusumapura as modern Patna.
Care e r & Late r Life
A verse mentions that Aryabhata was the head of an
institution (kulapa) at Kusumapura. Since, the University
of Nalanda was in Pataliputra, and had an astronomical
observatory; it is probable that he was its head too.
Direct details of his work are known only from the
Aryabhatiya. His disciple Bhaskara I calls it Ashmakatantra

(or the treatise from the Ashmaka).

T he Aryabhatiya is also occasionally referred to as Aryashatas-aShTa (literally, Aryabhatas 108), because there
are 108 verses in the text. It also has 13 introductory
verses, and is divided into four pdas or chapters.
Aryabhatiyas first chapter, Gitikapada, with its large units
of time kalpa, manvantra, and Yuga introduces a
different cosmology. T he duration of the planetary
revolutions during a mahayuga is given as 4.32 million
years.
Ganitapada, the second chapter of Aryabhatiya has 33
verses covering mensuration (ketra vyvahra),
arithmetic and geometric progressions, gnomon or
shadows
(shanku-chhAyA),
simple,
simultaneous, and indeterminate equations.
Aryabhatiyas

third

chapter

Kalakriyapada

quadratic,
explains

different units of time, a method for determining the

positions of planets for a given day, and a seven-day
week with names for the days of week.
T he last chapter of the Aryabhatiya, Golapada describes
Geometric/trigonometric aspects of the celestial sphere,
features of the ecliptic, celestial equator, shape of the
earth, cause of day and night, and zodiacal signs on
horizon.
He did not use a symbol for zero; its knowledge was
implicit in his place-value system as a place holder for the
powers of ten with null coefficients.
He did not use the Brahmi numerals, and continued the
Sanskritic tradition from Vedic times of using letters of the
alphabet to denote numbers, expressing quantities in a
mnemonic form.
He worked on the approximation for pi thus add four to
100, multiply by eight, and then add 62,000, the
circumference of a circle with a diameter of 20,000 can be
approached.

It is speculated that Aryabhata used the word sanna

(approaching), to mean that not only is this an
approximation, but that the value is incommensurable or
irrational.
In Ganitapada, he gives the area of a triangle as: for a
triangle, the result of a perpendicular with the half-side is
the area . He discussed sine by the name of ardha-jya or
half-chord.
Like other ancient Indian mathematicians, he too was
interested in finding integer solutions to Diophantine
equations with the form ax + by = c; he called it the
kuaka (meaning breaking into pieces) method.
His contribution to the study of Algebra is immense. In
Aryabhatiya, Aryabhata provided elegant results for the
summation of series of squares and cubes through well
tried formulae.
His system of astronomy was called the audayaka system,
in which days are reckoned from uday, dawn at lanka or
equator . His later writings, which apparently proposed
the ardha-rAtrikA, or midnight model, are lost.
He correctly believed that the earth rotates about its axis
daily, and that the apparent movement of the stars is a
relative motion caused by the rotation of the earth,
challenging the prevailing view.
In Aryabhatiya, he writes that setting and rising of
planets is a perception similar to that of someone in a
boat going forward sees an unmoving (object) going
backward.
He correctly asserted that the planets shine due to the
reflection of sunlight, and that the eclipses occur due to
the shadows of moon and earth, and not caused by a
demon called Rahu !
He correctly deduced that the orbits of the planets are
ellipses; this is another great discovery not credited to him
but to Johannes Kepler (a German astronomer, born AD
1571).

Major Works
Aryabhatas major work, Aryabhatiya, a compendium of
mathematics and astronomy, was extensively referred to in
the Indian mathematical literature, and has survived to
modern times. T he Aryabhatiya covers arithmetic, algebra,
and trigonometry.
Pe rsonal Life & Le gacy
Aryabhatas work was of great influence in the Indian
astronomical tradition and influenced several neighboring
cultures through translations. Some of his works are cited
by Al-Khwarizmi, and in the 10th century by Al-Biruni.
T he Aryabhata Knowledge University (AKU), Patna, has
been established by the Government of Bihar in his honor
for the development and management of educational
infrastructure related to technical, medical, management
and allied professional education.
Indias first satellite Aryabhata is named in his honor.
At the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational
Sciences (ARIOS) near Nainital, India, research in
astronomy, astrophysics and atmospheric sciences is
conducted.
Triv ia
Named after the great Indian astronomer of the same
name, Indias first satellites image used to appear on the
reverse of Indian 2 rupee banknotes.
Named after the great Indian astronomer is the remnant of
a lunar impact crater located in the eastern Sea of
Tranquility on the Moon. Submerged by lava-flow, now
only an arc-shaped ridge remains.