Brahmagupta

Brahmagupta was a Hindu astronomer and a phenomenal mathematician. He was born in Rajasthan, India roughly around 598 AD and passed away in 668 AD. Brahmagupta was one of the most prominent astronomers to come from India.  Not only was he a great triumph in India, but he was a major influence in the Byzantine astronomy world as well. He was best known for his work in the Ujjain astronomical observatory. This observatory was known to be in the top ten centers for research in the astronomical and mathematical field in India. When he worked in this laboratory, he found multiple concepts involving complex mathematical formulas and intricate theories. He also observed the motion of all the plants. He continued to build on his observations and began to write books.

Brahmagupta is most known for his mathematical rules with zero, his theorem, and the interpolation formula. Aside from the mathematician side of Brahmagupta, he is famous for his observations and concepts in space. In fact, he wrote two very significant books that discussed all things astronomy such as mean longitudes of plants, lunar eclipses, the moon’s shadows and crescents, planetary motion, and problems of time. These books go by the name of  “Brāhmasphutasiddhānta” and “Khandakhādyaka”. In addition to these works, he also wrote four other books about astronomy and mathematics. On the math side, Brahmagupta found more details about Pythagorean triples, rules of zero, and multiple trigonometry formulas.

In mathematical terms, Brahmagupta found the interpolation formula. He also found the values of the sin, which is used mostly in trigonometry. Brahmaputa’s theorem states that if a quadrilateral has perpendicular diagonals, then the perpendicular diagonal that corresponds to that side will always bisect the opposite side. This theorem is currently used mostly in geometry and he is often underrated for this theorem. His knowledge of the systems of numbers was far out of the average person’s reach. In addition to all of this, he also gave rules of arithmetic to correspond with his rules of zero.

From an astronomical point of view, Brahmagupta contributed a lot to the field of astronomy. In his book he argues against the concept of the moon being farther from the earth than the sun. His book describes a situation in which the moon is above the sun. He questioned how the power and luminosity of the moon would be created from the longitude of the moon. As a result of his observations, Brahmagupta was able to find the method for finding the standard motion of the planets. He also discovered the parallax of longitude and latitude.

In addition to proving this, he also proved that the brightness is enhanced in the same orientation of the sun. Through the use of these two ideas he explained that as a result of the moon being closer to the earth than the sun, the part of the moon that is visible relies on the correlation of the moon and the sun. Just the slightest change in position from either the moon or the sun can make a vast difference.

In all, Brahmagupta is recognized as one of the greatest astronomers of the world today. Through his observations and conclusions he came to, he was able to contribute to the astronomy field and mathematical field as well. His work has had a massive impact on other astronomers all over the world.