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Mahaviracharya

महावीराचार्य
c. 9th century CE
Mathematics

Ganita Sara Sangraha — a complete textbook of arithmetic

Story

Mahaviracharya, a Jain mathematician in the court of the Rashtrakuta king Amoghavarsha, wrote the Ganita Sara Sangraha around 850 CE — a clear, practical textbook that was widely used in South India.

Key contributions

  • Gave the general formula for combinations (nCr)
  • Worked on fractions, series, and the geometry of the ellipse
  • Wrote problems drawn from everyday trade and life, making mathematics practical

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Photos: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, unless uploaded by Awadh Vigyan Bharati. Ancient scholars are shown with symbolic images where no portrait exists.