Renowned mathematician and professor of mathematics in the Manchester University Geevarghese George Joseph said that his countrymen forgot the mathematical tradition of Sangama Grama Madhavan who made noted contributions to mathematics even before the time of Isaac Newton.
Presenting a paper on the topic Madhavan’s Contributions to Human Civilisation as part of the National Science Day celebrations held under the aegis of Sangama Grama Madhava Ganitha Kendram, he said that two-and-a-half centuries before European scientists Isaac Newton and G V Lebnis invented calculus, Madhavan of Irinjalakuda in Kerala and his disciples invented calculus.
Madhavan’s notes on infinite series were behind the invention of calculus. But the Eurocentric historians were not ready to accept this fact.
Geevarghese, who is the author of ‘Crest of Peacock- the Non- European Roots of Mathematics’, said that after his book was introduced, people began to acknowledge the contributions of Madhavan and started renaming the theories of Lebnis, Newton and Gregory as Newton-Madhavan, Madhavan- Gregory and Madhavan- Lebnis.
But there are no efforts to acknowledge the contributions in Madhavan’s own land in Kerala.
Geevarghese said popularising the contributions of Madhavan and other mathematicians of India would help attract ‘mathematics tourism’ in Kerala.
He also reminded that ‘zero’ was the contribution of Indians. Geevarghese pointed out that Indians considered zero not merely as a number but a comprehensive idea.
Vivekananda Kendra president P Parameswaran draped Geevarghese with a ‘ponnada’ and presented a memento to him. V B Panicker presided over the meeting.
V P N Namboodiri delivered C V Raman remembrance lecture.
M N Sreedharan Nair, Madhukar Mallaiah and K Vijayaraghavan were present. Ganitha Kendram secretary A Vinod welcomed the gathering. Amalkrishna N proposed a vote of thanks.