Aryabhata was a legendary mathematician and astronomer from ancient India who lived from 476 to 550 CE in the Gupta age.
Some of his discoveries and work includes-
- Determining the square and cube roots
- Giving the world the most significant invention of 0 (shunya)
- Discovery of the value of pi (π) to the fourth decimal. Calculations of lunar and solar eclipses
- Discovered Earth’s rotation about its own axis
- Gave reasons for the luminosity of the Moon and other planets
- Work on trigonometric tables
- Calculated the rotation time of the Earth referencing the fixed stars, i.e., 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds
His extensive work in mathematics and science proved to be helpful for scientists in the coming year to discover more. He also wrote books on disciplines like Āryabhaṭīya ( Sanskrit astronomical treatise ) and Arya-Siddhanta (details on astronomical computations). He was a contemporary of another famous Indian mathematician Varahmihira.
Even though there is no written documentation of the place of his birth, many sources cite Kusumpura or Patliputra (the present-day Patna) as his native place.
