Aryabhata

(Aryabhata)
(476, Kusumapura, now Patna, India - OK. 550)
He was one of the first to use algebra, very accurately determined the value of "pi" as 3.1416. In his poetic work "Aryabhatiya" (499) A. proved that the Earth and other planets of the solar system revolve around the sun. Moreover, he apparently believed that the planets move in elliptical orbits (more than a thousand years before Kepler!). He also explained the phenomenon of alternation of day and night, and the scientific reasons for the lunar and solar eclipses. There are many comments written by ancient Indian scientists to this work of A., which indicates the great importance of this work for further development of Indian science. Peru A. belonged to another treatise, not extant.

Between 950 and 1100 gg. lived and worked another astronomer, who bore the name of a. He owns an extensive treatise Mahasiddhanta "(" Aryasiddhanta). Historians of science that the scientist is usually referred to as "Aryabhata II".