New NCERT Class 7 Book Traces Algebra and More to Ancient India | Education News

The second part cites examples from Sanskrit texts, includes problems and solutions related to the works of ancient Indian mathematicians, and also talks about an ancient Indian text on geometry.

Part of the purpose of introducing such concepts is to teach students “correct history” without a “skewed” colonial vision, said Dinesh Prasad Saklani, director of NCERT.

For example, a chapter on integers refers to the seventh-century AD mathematician Brahmagupta’s text, Brahmasvotasiddhanta, as “the first time the rules for multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers were spelled out.” He calls this “an important step in the development of arithmetic and algebra.” This is followed by Brahmagupta’s rules on the use of positive and negative numbers and a mathematical problem related to them. The textbook says that Indian contributions to algebra are among the earliest known works in the field.

A chapter on algebraic equations refers to ‘bijaganita’, ‘now also known as algebra’, and says that ‘forming expressions using symbols and solving equations with such expressions was an important element of mathematical explorations in ancient India’. The chapter refers to Brahmagupta’s work on adding, subtracting and multiplying unknown numbers using letters, saying that this is among the earliest known works in algebra.

Tracing algebra by Indian mathematicians, the chapter says: “In the eighth century, Indian mathematical ideas were translated into Arabic. They influenced a well-known mathematician called Al-Khwarizmi, who lived in present-day Iraq. Around 825 AD, he wrote a book called Hisb al-Jibr wal-Muqabalah, which means ‘Calculation by Restoration and Balancing’.” He adds that these ideas spread, and by the twelfth century, Al-Khwarizmi’s book was translated into Latin and transported to Europe. “The word algebra from his book gave us the word algebra, which we still use today,” he says.

It lists the symbols used by ancient Indian mathematicians from the time of Brahmagupta to represent unknowns, as well as an example of a mathematical problem given in the 12th-century text Bhijaganita by Bhaskaracharya.

“The Arabs were deeply influenced by the works of Indian mathematicians, especially Brahmangupta. They improvised on these methods to create what we call algebra today. Arab mathematicians were great innovators and innovators with the knowledge they gained from ancient Greek, Indian and Chinese traditions,” Dhruv Raina, historian, philosopher of science and former professor at JNU, told The Indian Express.

A chapter on geometry, entitled “Structures and Tiles,” details the Sulba-Sutras and the text’s method of constructing a perpendicular bisector using a rope. “Ancient mathematicians from various civilizations, including India, knew precise procedures for constructing perpendiculars and perpendicular bisectors. In India, the oldest known texts containing these methods are the Solpa Sutras. These are ancient engineering texts that deal with the construction of ritual fire altars.”

The old 7th grade textbook did not contain any reference to ancient Indian mathematicians. NCERT has released new textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework. The NEP calls for the incorporation of “Indian knowledge systems” into the school curriculum.

Asked about the rationale behind including these aspects, Saklani said: “The purpose is three-fold. First, to teach students the correct history. For a very long time, the history of mathematics in India has been presented from a colonial European perspective, giving a skewed view. This can only be fixed by presenting the history correctly and accurately…” “Second, to make the subject more interdisciplinary, thus improving learning… Third, to develop a sense of pride and inspiration in the students.”