, 1873-06-22

+h nsm.aoskels s,, nave Deen gong ont OF town +
Tha "nn,,eI 10y aeiy taploiy uur1ne 1ne past "ec
tbrea Waa. ahs Degnn tins season two
! ------
/ EARLY HINn00 MATHEMATICS
1'om '"e Fopusa' science Monthly for July.
years before our era, there was a poet who sang
Like plank OF drift-wood
| Tossed on tho watery main,
another 1I,ot plank encounters,
~ MeotsI9ncnGsE .s..9 s again;
on 0p' u9sss n9ssen, qnnasttn ana talnuns' sa ever
Ken e nIas maet tanledans apd a1sat sea, Ind .sv.r
| Parting eternauy.
This eure,v ia nh t1a vers, ~ ,x;,n:.;.
,,a,n1a 49,. 'ot ~. sas1 .a, y, pi4ut1lF ~
poepo' 'ueee afo nos Tue 1eepie usplngs OF tn
1n1ants OF our 1ace; did it not require time t
accustom the Hindoo mind to SMILES as compile,
| Ar thase ? This rarsa .r,r,s 80 .an.. .1us:s.
| II Tannv,,, haa ,r,;tt. =. o'1. eeA04
oo,,sa;os.a ".I,ou ~, :. appe44A ~ 90 oeel
e1 aeono.'ooeAes7 ~ ao co1erloges lynn IN the
parison NTH the petor Bell" Of the great Lake
poet,
r. +h;e roox>,o ,xo, -.
ro.-. - e s~eL'e 49, "s-s ~ - W ~ eo
5esas aeo, wien "as II yonng9 we beg1n to
believe, With Daillyf, in the existence OF "ca
peup1e ancien oui nous a tout annris arcente
son nom At ann axiatapcan
"0- -. aon ~ eoa eAs1enee'
~ mes' tAen, 10 interesting TOT ua TO glance st
the State OF science among these predecessors
of ours. But Let us remember that We are ap-
plying severe test when va comnara Al tboir n-e- 70
.,ra.s ,.;th 49, ao;,,,oo - =. sa- f1o
o,oxn,o, 49,. l.. :: ,-:.. 40
4oa1ueA :. '1aS As 40 oiny "1'n1n nonoseo years
thai the return OF comets has been predicted !;
that our knowledge of the constitution OF the
sun has been gained einca 1899 :.
+h.t Na1+on 10. 49, eD~o Aoo' =, !,
-. A'o"'o. -, 1Ae oeen oeao only 80
5e1e' LILA 1uAt Lagrange ano LID
place both lived and worked in our Own century.
When we consider what astronomy would be-
,.os rn,r ~ +o-z soe-s sAa' 40, "nn1 ~
Uas onis ~ -" yeAis ago-"e are oetter pre-
pared to appreciate the studies which laid the
remote foundations Of their triumphs.
;, 1t would be impossible, within moderate linz
It's, TO determine the value OF Hindoo astrono-
my, however interesting the effort might be,
aace We snoulo enter A. once into debateable
eto1uu, auo coue among great authorities IN
connlEt'
ba1!ley, Delampre, bentley, Davis, Hunter,
ten contradictory, beliefs to maintain. Some
afe partsans Of the Greek some OF the Arab,
otners OF the dlndoo scientists OF long ago.
But, fortunately, some OF the original manu-
scrip. oooks 20 o. the a!ndooa hsye come down to
mathematics, and these are authentic and OF
great age. Precisely Of how groat age it il
difficult to ascertain. Bailly, i Hindoo partisan,
accepts the largest estimate; Delambre, q
t1s ues1eceol OF a!nooo science and an advocate OF
me treek, oehevea the most important Of them
to nave been written about A. D. lila; while the
translator Of this manuscript, Colebrooke, dis
tlngnlshed sanscElt scholar, places the date Of
Writing IN A. u. 116o.
Ihls treatise, the Lihyati OF Bhascara
AcnaIya, ls supposed to have been compilation,
and there are reasons for believing portion Of
It to have been written about a. D. 628. How
eEer thls may be, It Is OF the greatest interest,
sho Its cate la sufhc1enty remote to give to Hin
loo 2 n matne1natlcs respectable antiquity:
written to console the daughter of it's author |
or her il-success in obtaining husband and |
t spe1ks well for the Hindoo rentleToman tint |
such means could be considered worth the IT. |
omDtinV It xAa ca1le1 by her usva a,,a ,,n,,-