Talk:Yuktibhasa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Yuktibhasa article.
Please sign and date your posts by typing four tildes (~~~~). Put new text under old text. Click here to start a new topic. New to Wikipedia? Welcome! Ask questions, get answers. This is not a forum for general discussion about the article's subject.	Be polite Assume good faith No personal attacks Be welcoming	Article policies No original research Neutral point of view Verifiability

	This article is within the scope of WikiProject India, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of India-related topics. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page.
Start	This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale. (see comments)
	This article is maintained by the Kerala workgroup.
More information about this article... ??? This article has not yet received a rating on the importance scale.

Mathematics Portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Mathematics, which collaborates on articles related to mathematics.
Mathematics rating:	B Class	High Priority	Field: Geometry (historical)
Please update this rating as the article progresses, or if the rating is inaccurate. Click to show/hide comments. Please add to or update the comments to suggest improvements to the article. Geometry guy 02:26, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

An entry from Yuktibhasa appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know? column on 10 July 2006.

[edit] Unique

The word "unique" is appropriate there. See UniqueBharatveer 10:20, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] NPOV Message

I apologize, but the phrase "considered as the first text on calculus" smacks of NPOV. All of the references for this statement either have a regional slant, such as the Caniscus College reference [1] or the reference for the Government of Kerala [2], or directly or indirectly reference the Whish work [3]. Some more information on more recent interpretations of the Whish work would be helpful to your cause. Ggugvunt 19:15, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Actually this text we are talking about is in Malayalam – a language spoken only by people in the small Indian state of Kerala. As such, all those who have done prime research on it, are Indians. Also to be taken to note, is the fact that only little is known even within India about the Kerala School. There are no references, whatsoever of any texts detailing about calculus prior to the Yuktibhasa. The only text in which a bit of calculus is used, is Bhaskara's Sidantha Siromani. But it doesnt go to the mathematical side, and only uses some differentials to prove a few astronomy theorems.

All in all, what I'm trying to convey, is that the article is in no way biased just because two of the four references given, are by Indians. It is indeed the first text on calculus. -- thunderboltz^{a.k.a.Deepu Joseph |TALK}04:49, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Thank you for the extra information. I think that the page may even benefit from some of the comments you have given to justify your views, especially the lack of previous references. Keep in mind, though, there is evidence of some of the ideas in calculus from far before this - see How_Archimedes_used_infinitesimals for example. That being said, I admit it is a stretch to consider that a "calculus text" :). --—Preceding unsigned comment added by Ggugvunt (talk • contribs)

Yes, I am indeed aware of Archimedes, Aryabhatta, Manjula and Bhaskara all using infinitesimal values and basic ideas of calculus. But Yuktibasha, as you now agree, was the first text that actually details them (with proof too). I spent two entire days of my wiki-time researching up stuff on this page. Its always nice to receive criticism. Thank you. :-) -- thunderboltz^{a.k.a.Deepu Joseph |TALK}14:11, 12 July 2006 (UTC)