History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v1.c3.1

v1.c3.1

Little is known at present to historians of mathematics regarding the achievements of the early Hindu mathematicians and our indebtedness to them. Though it is now generally admitted that the decimal place-value system of numeral notation was invented and first used by the Hindus, it is not yet fully realized to what extent we are indebted to them for our elementary mathematics. This is due to the lack of a reliable and authentic history of Hindu mathematics. Our object in writing the present book has been to make up for this deficiency by giving a comprehensive account of the growth and development of the science of mathematics in India from the earliest known times down to the seventeenth century of the Christian era.