Archive · 6 Sep 2025
Indian Manuscripts' Influence on Global Mathematics and Algorithms
Long ago, Indian mathematicians came up with clever ideas about numbers, like the decimal system.
These ideas traveled through old books written in languages like Sanskrit, Arabic, and Latin.
These books helped spread these ideas around the world.
The exhibition shows how India's math influenced important things like the word 'algorithm,' which is super important in computers today.
It also shows how Indian math was used in everyday life, even in music and recipes.
These ancient ideas are now being saved and shared online so everyone can learn about them.
The exhibition focuses on the influence of Indian mathematics on global knowledge.
It highlights the journey of mathematical concepts from India to West and Central Asia.
The exhibition includes the story of how Indian numerals influenced the creation of the modern word "algorithm".
It also sheds light on the Kerala school of mathematics and their contribution to trigonometry.
The project, SAMHiTA, digitizes ancient manuscripts to make them accessible to the public.
- Who
- SAMHiTA, scholars, and mathematicians
- What
- An exhibition highlighting Indian contributions to mathematics and its influence on global knowledge
- When
- Exhibition opened this week and will continue until September 14.
- Where
- India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi
- Why
- To showcase the journey of mathematical ideas from India and its impact on global knowledge
- Exhibition Title
- The Mathematical Sciences: South Asia’s Contributions
- Location
- India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi
- Exhibition Dates
- Open until September 14
- Curator
- SAMHiTA
- Key Concepts
- Decimal, place-value systems, trigonometry, zero
- Related Project
- SAMHiTA (South Asian Manuscript Histories and Textual Archive)