Incorporating Ancient Sciences And Mathematics

Abstract The mathematics of classical Indian civilization is an intriguing blend of the familiar and the strange. For the modern individual, Indian decimal place-value numerals may seem familiar and, in fact, they are the ancestors of the modern decimal number system. Some historians of mathematics have deplored these aspects of the Indian tradition, seeing in them merely a habit of rote memorization and an inability to distinguish between true and false results. In fact, explanations and demonstrations were frequently added by later commentators not so much as solid foundations for a student’s understanding but as pedagogical crutches for a student’s potential lack of understanding. The Indian concept of ganita (Sanskrit: “computation”) was a form of knowledge whose mastery implied varied talents: a good memory, swift and accurate mental arithmetic, enough logical power to understand rules without requiring minute explanations, and a sort of numerical intuition that aided in the construction of new methods and approximations. Keywords – Mathematics, Indian civilization, decimal number system,decimal place value,pedagogy.