Hello,
I write to you today because I wish to share a recent discovery I have made. The discovery that I am talking about is that quadratic equations can have two solutions. Previous mathematicians have always just come up with one answer to a quadratic equation but they did not take negative numbers into account. Most people do not understand the concept of negative numbers yet I knew there had to be something more when a small number was subtracted by a larger number. I was in the local market sitting against a wall in downtown Ujjain when I thought about the concepts of negative numbers and was so excited by the theory that I ran all the way back to my observatory to write everything down. I believe that this concept of negative numbers will be a huge contribution to society because it will allow people to calculate debt, a new concept used in todays world.
I have started to like living in Ujjain a lot more now. The Gurjara dynasty covers a large amount of India and was started right here in Ujjain. I believe that its presence in town has given me a new insight on life and will be able to view my work in many different perspectives.
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| Brahmagupta's formula for cyclic quadrilaterals which he used to calculate approximate and exact answers for areas of large spaces |
I am glad to report that I have made tremendous progress on my book the Brahmasphutasiddhanta but still have a lot of work to do given that I am only on chapter twelve of twenty-five. With all of this Information that I need to include in this book I cannot even wrap my head around the fact that this will take me a very long time to complete. Hopefully I will be able to finish it before I am washed away from this earth.
I have decided to write my book in my own Sanskrit language so it will be most beneficial to Western mathematicians for I hope to keep the Indian mathematicians on top.
I have also begun to get distracted from my work due to the recent argument I am having with my fellow mathematicians and astronomers in the Jain religion. They believe that the earth rotates on a central axis… Can you believe it. I told them that if that were true then large buildings would come crumbling down. Though I do reject the ancient Hindu belief that the earth is flat or bowl-shaped which is one thing that we were able to agree on because if that was true then orbiting planets around us would have much different courses.
The chapter that I am currently working on is dealing with the rising and setting of stars, planets, and the moon. With the new formulas that I have recently discovered, I will be able to talk about about these specific subjects which I am very pleased about.
I must leave now for I have an important meeting with the King on my work for me has become very interested in astronomy.
Farewell and I hope to write again soon to let you know of my progress
Brahmagupta
Brahmagupta-
ReplyDeleteYou are so far ahead of your time it is astounding. Your ideas and beliefs are so evolved that not many people cannot wrap their heads around your theorems and principles. I struggled with this very similarly to you. In my head, there were non-stop geometric ideas and conjectures that I continuously talked about. Even if the people did not understand what I am saying. I can't wait to see how your book turns out. Your ideas seem so interesting. I especially love your story about how you ran back to your observatory after your realization. I had a similar experience in the public bathing area when I figured out my ideas on water displacement. I can't wait to see what you come up with in the future. Best of luck.
-Archimedes
Dear Brahmagupta,
ReplyDeleteI read of your findings in awe, for negative numbers are such an important concept in my work with number theory. It is so interesting that this whole area of mathematics emerged from simply sitting in a local market! I am glad that you have acclimated to the town of Ujjian, and that your studies and writing continue to be lucrative. However, the reasoning behind your decision to write Brahmasphutasiddhanta in Sanskrit disappointed me somewhat. Why do you wish to only share your insights with fellow Indians? Is the rest of the world not entitled? I think your findings will change the world, and it is selfish to restrict the audience of your book. Anyway, I am also curious about your discoveries in astronomy, for I have never delved into that area of science. How does the earth being a sphere impact its orbital? And why do you believe the earth does not have a central axis?
With respect,
Sophie Germain