Mathematician:Madhava of Sangamagrama

Indian mathematician who made pioneering contributions to the study of infinite series, calculus, trigonometry, geometry and algebra.

It has been suggested that his works made their way to Europe and had an influence on the later European development of calculus.

Nationality
Indian

History

 * Born: c. 1350, Sangamagramma (near Cochin), Kerala, India
 * Died: c. 1425, India

Achievements

 * Madhava Series
 * Gave an accurate table of sines
 * Gave a value of $\pi$ accurate to 11 decimal places
 * Found methods of polynomial expansion
 * Discovered tests of convergence of infinite series
 * Discovered the analysis of infinite continued fractions
 * Discovered the solutions of transcendental equations by iteration
 * Found the approximation of transcendental numbers by continued fractions

Books and Papers

 * Golavada
 * Madhyamanayanaprakara
 * Mahajyanayanaprakara (Methods for the great sines)
 * Lagnaprakarana
 * Venvaroha
 * Sphutacandrapti
 * Aganita-grahacara
 * Candravakyani


 * May also have been the author of Sadratnamala, which contains the value of $\pi$ accurate to 17 decimal places.


 * Possibly also the author of Karmapradipika (or Karma-Paddhati), an elaborate commentary of Bhaskara II's Lilavati (although this is generally attributed to Narayana Pandit).