Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In 1979, Abraham Seidenberg published the second of his groundbreaking articles, evaluating the role of the Sulbasutras in the history of mathematics and highlighting the dismissive treatment they received from mainstream historical narratives. Despite this, there has been no systematic attempt to trace how the general consensus about the Sulbasutras' significance has evolved since they were first introduced to the Western world in 1875 by Georg Thibaut. This talk addresses this gap by examining the writings of key figures such as Moritz Cantor, Otto Neugebauer, and others whose works played a significant role in reducing the Sulbasutras to little more than a footnote in the history of mathematics.
In 1979, Abraham Seidenberg published the second of his groundbreaking articles, evaluating the role of the Sulbasutras in the history of mathematics and highlighting the dismissive treatment they received from mainstream historical narratives. Despite this, there has been no systematic attempt to trace how the general consensus about the Sulbasutras' significance has evolved since they were first introduced to the Western world in 1875 by Georg Thibaut. This talk addresses this gap by examining the writings of key figures such as Moritz Cantor, Otto Neugebauer, and others whose works played a significant role in reducing the Sulbasutras to little more than a footnote in the history of mathematics.
