For most of us, Maths is a confusing concept and a tough subject. But there are some of the famous mathematicians who love maths and like to play with numbers. They have received tremendous name and fame all over the globe and also laid the foundation for many mathematical concepts, from algebra and geometry to calculus and number theory. Their groundbreaking discoveries and methods have inspired generations of scholars worldwide. Here are the top mathematicians in India who have shaken the world with their stunning maths theory and computational skills.
1. Srinivasa Ramanujam:
Srinivasa Ramanujam, the man who knew infinity, is an exceptional mathematician who has obtained tremendous credit for his work in mathematics. He is from Tamil Nadu and hails from a very poor family. But he decided to follow his passion for maths and invented a number of important equations. He is the brainchild behind the infinite series of n and the game theory in maths. He obtained his PhD in maths from Cambridge University and is one of the top 5 mathematicians in India.
2. Aryabhatta:
The period between 470 and 550 CE is considered to be the golden age in India, when Aryabhatta, the famous scientist, mathematician, and astronomer, lived. He was the mastermind behind the discovery of the spherical shape of the earth. The number of days in a year was found by him. His phenomenal work in the field of mathematics is Ganita, Gola, and the Kala-Kriya. In the section on Gola, or sphere, he introduced the concept of spherical geometry or trigonometry. He also explained the concepts of planetary movements, the meanings of the different units of time, etc. He gave the first 10 decimal places, the algorithms for solving square and cube roots, etc.
3. Brahmagupta:
Brahmagupta is a 7th-century astronomer and mathematician who is known for the use of 0 in maths calculations. He created addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems using 0. The majority of his work was focused on the Sanskrit language. He is also known for making significant contributions to Trignometry and mathematics. He also found solutions for the general linear equation and Brahmagupta’s formula and theorem. One main reason why he is known as the best mathematician is his discovery of negative numbers and their calculations.
4. Shakunthala Devi:
Known as the human calculator, this female mathematician in India is known for her exceptional math calculation speed. She was born in Bangalore and she started her mathematics journey from memorizing cards for creating shows in circuses. This eventually led her name to enter the Guinness Book of Records. She was infact a motivation for anyone who wishes to achieve wonders in maths.
5. P. C. Mahalanobis:
Born in Kolkata, Mahalanobis completed his graduation from the Presidency College and later went on to complete his higher education and Maths at Cambridge University. He is a renowned scientist, statistician, and mathematician. He is also known as the Father of Statistics and contributed to the Indian Statistical Institute. The Planning Commission in India was formed on the basis of his recommendations. He was instrumental in the establishment of Hirakund Dam across the Mahanadi River in Odisha. His remarkable work is the Mahalanobis distance, or the D2- Statistic.
6. D. R. Kaprekar:
He was fondly remembered as the Ganitananda or the future of mathematics. He has performed phenomenal work in the field of mathematics, for which he received the R.P. Paranjpe Mathematical Prize. He graduate from the University of Mumbai and was also teaching in a school in Nashik. While he was teaching in the school, he published a number of topics such as recurring decimals, magic squares. The number 6174 is also referred to as the Kaprekar constant and he was also known for described many clauses of the natural numbers.
7. Bhaskara II:
Bhaskara II is an important and ancient mathematician from India, from the 12th century. He was known for rocking the world of math with the help of his brainpower. Playing with numbers, that too tricky numbers, was his favorite pastime. He tackled many maths problems, and solved many puzzles. He was not only interested in numbers, but in planets as well. He came up with a number of methods to learn more about planets and is known for his work on indeterminate equations. He also wrote a comprehensive astronomical and mathematical treatise names Siddhanta Shiromani.
8. C. R. Rao:
He was great at making sense of the numbers and could do wonders with data and numbers. He came up with cool ways to understand, analyze and interpret data and thus helped people in solving problems and making easy decisions. He did phenomenal work in Statistics and came up with new methods for finding hidden trends and patterns in data. People loved him for his brainpower in numbers, and he also taught others the thoughts he knew. He contributes to matrix algebra, economics, biology and also medicine. He introduced the concepts of Cramer Roa and Rao Blackwell’s theorem.
9. Madhava of Sangamagrama:
He was a pioneer in mathematics, and he was known for making the groundwork for much mathematical analysis. He made significant contributions to trigonometry, calculus, and the study of the infinite series. He was known for making math concepts more interesting, and he was known for playing the super-long sums called the infinite series. He also found a number that was close to pi, a famous number used in math. Madhava’s ideas were clever and he laid the foundation for calculus, used to solve all sorts of problems.
10. Narendra Karmarkar:
Karmarkar obtained his B.Tech in electrical engineering from IIT Bombay, and he also pursued his PhD in the United States. He was known for making phenomenal contributions to the invention of polynomials and its algorithms. He was known for identifying the interior point method.
The Indian mathematicians have made phenomenal contributions to maths, such as the zero concept, decimal system, algebra, negative numbers, trigonometry, and so on. All of the early maths concepts were documented in the Sanskrit sutras, which also outline the different problems and rules that are related to maths.
