Origins & Early Life

Bhāskara I (c. 600 – c. 680) was a 7th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer of the classical Siddhānta school of Jyotiṣa (astronomy and applied mathematics—one of the six Vedāngas or auxiliary disciplines of Vedic scholarship). He was the first to write numbers in the Hindu–Arabic decimal system with a circle for the zero, and who gave a unique and remarkable rational approximation of the sine function (jyā) in his commentary on Aryabhata's work.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

This commentary, Āryabhaṭīyabhāṣya, written in 629, is among the oldest known prose works in Sanskrit on mathematics and astronomy to be completely extant today. He also wrote two astronomical works in the line of Aryabhata's school: the Mahābhāskarīya ("Great Book of Bhāskara") and the Laghubhāskarīya ("Small Book of Bhāskara"). On 7 June 1979, the Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Bhāskara I satellite, named in honour of the mathematician. Little is known about Bhāskara's life, except for what can be deduced from his writings. He was born in India in the 7th century, and was probably an astronomer.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Bhāskara I received his astronomical education from his father. There are references to places in India in...

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