M ATHEMATICS IN I NDIA :
F ROM V EDIC PERIOD TO M ODERN TIMES
L ECTURE 6
Decimal place value system
K. Ramasubramanian
IIT Bombay
Outline
Decimal Place Value System & Representation of numbers
I
Introduction
I Aryabhat
. an system
I Katapay
adi system
.
I Bh
utasankhy
a system
Introduction
Origin of numbers and Place value system
I
a.a:a.Na Za:ta.a a.a:sa:h:~:a. a:Nya: a.+;aM ;aMa:Za:(a :de :va.a na:va . ca.a:sa:pa:yRa:n,a
A.Ea:[a:n,a ;Gax :tEa.=;sxa:Na:n,a ba:a.hR.=;sma.a . . .
[R
. g-veda 3.9.9.]
Introduction
Ingenuity of the advent of Place value system & Zero
Numerals found in the Inscriptions (Brahm
)
I
Evolution of Numerals: Brahm
Modern
It has taken more than 18 centuries (3rd BCE 15th CE) for the
numerical notation to acquire the present form.
Use of zero as a symbol by Pingala
(2nd cent CE)
I
P
an.inis As..t
adhy
ay (c. 500 BCE) has the notion of lopa which
functions as a null-morpheme.
A:d:ZRa:nMa l;ea:paH
Chandah.-s
utra (c. 300
BCE ). In Chapter VIII, while enunciating an algorithm for
evaluating any positive integral power of 2 in terms of an optional
number of squaring and multiplication (duplication) operations,
su
nya is used as a marker.
.+pea ZUa:nya:m,a ;a.d
H
(1.1.60).
ZUa:nyea
(8.29-30).
In Vy
asa-bh
a.sya on the Yogas
utra of Pata
njali, we find an
interesting description of the place value system:
ya:TEa:k+a
O;:k+.~Ta.a:nea
l;ea:k
e .~va.+pMa .sa:}ba:a.nDa.+pM
//
a ..ca
Bra.a:ta.a
va:d.a:nyaH
ba.a:lH
yua:va.a
.~Ta:a.va.=H
ma:nua:SyaH
;a.pa:ta.a
b.ra.a::NaH
:pua.aH
:=e;Ka.a
ta:Ta.a .sa:}ba:a.nDa:na.e
//
a;=e;va
:pa.Ea.aH
A:*:H
.~Ta.a:na.a:nya:tvea:na ;
a.na:a.va:Za:ma.a:na.a O;:k d:Za Za:ta .sa:h:~:a.a:
a.d
...
Aryabhat
. a as it is too complicated to read!
Vowels employed in Devanagar
script
I
the Devanagar
script:6
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/devanagari.htm
Consonants employed in Devanagar
script
I
the Devanagar
script:
Aryabhat
. as scheme of assigning numerical values to the 33
consonants can be represented as:
Aryabhat
. as idea of making vowels decide the place value of the
33 consonants is quite novel and ingenious.
Vowels
Multipled by
I
au
1016
ai
1014
o
1012
e
1010
.l
108
r.
106
u
104
i
102
a
100
Flaw in representing Aryabhat
. a s system
Aryabhat
. as representation: Illustrative examples
I Example 1: Decode the alpha-numeral K.yua:Gxa (khyughr.).
Category
V A
V
Vowel
r.
r.
.l
Given syllable
- gh
Its value
4
The given number is: 43,20,000.
A
u
y
3
V
u
kh
2
A
i
0
V
i
0
A
a
0
V
a
0
Aryabhat
. as representation: Examples & Exercises
I
V
.l
A
r.
l
5
V
r.
ch
7
A
u
s
7
V
u
n
5
A
i
y
3
V
i
g
3
A
a
y
3
V
a
c
6
+Gva (d
. hunvighva).
Category
Vowel
Given syllable
Its value
V
r.
A
u
V
u
d.h
14
A
i
v
6
V
i
n
5
A
a
v
6
V
a
gh
4
(ni
sibun.lr..skhr.) & .jRua:a.SKa:Da
////
(rjus.khidha)
The sine-table of Aryabhat
.a
(Algorithm for constructing this table will be discussed later)
I
Verse 12 of Gtik
a-p
ada of Aryabhat
.ya gives the value of
Rsine-differences (expressed in arc-minutes):
ma:
a.Ka Ba:
a.Ka :P+
a.Ka ;Da:
a.Ka :Na:
a.Ka Va:
a.Ka
.~ga ZJa z
*: a :P C k+.l;a:DRa.$ya.aH
225, 224, 222, 219, 215, 210, 205, 199, 191, 183, 174,
164, 154, 143, 131, 119, 106, 93, 79, 65, 51, 37, 22,
and 7these are the Rsine-differences [at intervals of
2250 of arc] in terms of the minutes of arc.
I
This verse is perhaps one of the most terse verses in the entire Sanskrit
literature. Only after several trials would it be ever possible to read the verse
properly, let alone deciphering its content.
Kat.apay
adi system
I The name Kat.apay
adi stems from the fact that here the Sanskrit
alphabets ka, .ta, pa, ya etc. are used to denote the numbers.
I According to this system,
I
I
Number
Consonants
used
to represent
numbers
1
k
.t
p
y
2
kh
.th
ph
r
3
g
d.
b
l
4
gh
d.h
bh
v
5
n
n
.
m
s
6
c
t
.s
7
ch
th
8
j
d
9
jh
dh
8
.l
0
n
Kat.apay
adi system
I
nkaravarman
The following verse in Sadratnam
al
a of Sa
(c. 1830
CE ) succinctly summarizes the system:
+;a.
na:Va.a:va:.ca:(
a ZUa:nya.a:
a.na .sa:*
aH
k+.f:pa:ya.a:d:yaH
;a.ma:(rea tUa:pa.a:nta:h:sMa:K.ya.a na . ca ;
a. ca:ntya.ea h:lH
.~va.=H
[The letters] n, n
and the vowels [when standing alone]
denote zeros. [The consonants] commencing from ka, .ta, pa
and ya denote the numbers [1, 2, 3, . . . ] in order. In the case
of conjunct consonants (misre tu) only the last consonant
represents the number. The vowel suffixed to a consonant
should not be counted.
I
a
0
yu
1
r
a
2
ro
2
gya
1
sau
7
khyam
1
Vararucis c
andrav
akyas of unknown antiquity and Haridattas
Mah
am
arganibandha (c. 600 CE) form the earliest examples.
Kat.apay
adi system
The table below presents a few illustrative examples chosen from the
texts on Indian mathematics and astronomy.
Word/Words
;a.va:d
.a:n,a
tua:a:ba:lH
k+.va.a:Za:
a.na:.ca:yaH
.sa:va.Ra:TRa:Za.a:l+a.~Ta.=H
////
;
a.na:a.vRa.;d
.a:*:+na:=
e ;nd:+.k
,
Ba:d:a:*:+Ba:v.ya.a:sa:naH
x +.;
+.na:Da:na:k
U :=e;va
;Da.a:ga.a:pa.a:*:;ja:L+a:
*:+~:
a.a
na.a:na.a:a.a:na:ta:pa.ea:Da.=H
x +.t=+:
:he ;a.va:SNa.ea ;
a.na:a.h:tMa k
a:m,a
l+[ma.a:Za:
a.na:a.h:ta:Dya.a:nEaH
Number represented
44
3306
160541
2735747
22203940
714324
42410900
23983139
29160000
1680548
1680553
Bh
utasankhy
a system
I
The word Bh
utasankhy
areferring to a
being and a number respectively.
Here words commonly employed in Sanskrit such as:
1. The physical entities such as Earth, Moon (1), planets,
stars, ocean, mountain, fire, sky, direction etc.
2. The parts of a human body such as eyes, ears(2), jaws,
knees, hands, fingers, teeth, nails etc.
3. The animals, such as serpent, horse, elephant etc.
Bh
utasankhy
a system
Maadhava.
We give this as an illustrative example of the use of
Bh
utasankhy
a system:
ma.a:Da:va.a:.ca.a:yRaH :pua:naH
;a.va:bua:Da:nea.a:ga.ja.a:a.h:hu:ta.a:Za:na:aa:gua:Na:vea:d:Ba:va.a.=;Na:ba.a:h:vaH
na:va:
a.na:Ka:vRa:a.ma:tea vxa: a.ta:a.va:~ta:=e :pa:a=; a.Da:ma.a:na:a.ma:dM .ja:ga:d
u :bRua:Da.aH
2827433388233
9 1011
= 3.141592653592
(correct to 11 places)
Bh
utasankhy
a system
I The table below presents a few examples.
Word
Ka.a:a.d:=:a:ma.a:
+;a:yaH
:vea:d:vea:d.a:*:+.
ca:nd:aH
:vea:d:.ca:nd;a.d
/
.Da:na.a:ga.aH
:vea:d.a:a.b
Bua.ja:*:+na:nd:
a.d
a:Na:Sa.*:
x +tea:nd:vaH
:na:ga.a:*:+ba.
Number represented
3370
1944
844214
146567298
I Advantages
I
Thanks!
T HANK YOU