India and the Calculus of Trigonometric Functions

Abstract

We discuss the work of a brilliant line of Mathematicians who lived in central Kerala and starting with its founder Madhava (1350 CE) developed what can best be described as Calculus and applied it to a class of trigonometric functions. We explain, with the example of the expansion of the inverse tan function, how they handled integration. Further, they took forward the work of the fifth century mathematician Aryabahata (499 CE), worked with differentials, and developed the expansion of the sine and the cosine functions. The work \textit{Yuktibhasa} (circa 1500 CE) which maybe described as the first textbook on Calculus, also describes in detail the evaluation of the area and volume of trigonometric functions as well as a variety of expansions for $\textit{pi}$. Our treatment is pedagogical and we present exercise problems and invite the enterprising student to try their hands at approximations and integration $\textit{a la}$ the Madhava way.