Overlooking mathematical justifications in the Sanskrit tradition: the nuanced case of G. F. Thibaut
Résumé
How did the narratives on the history of mathematics in India omit the tradition of
mathematical justifications
that existed
in medieval Sanskrit commentaries? This article will look at a key moment of the history of mathematics in India, when in
1874 and 1875, the German philologer G. F. Thibaut published a translation of a set of Vedic geometrical texts, thus
establishing that India had known other mathematical activities than ``practical calculations". We will observe how his
philological work and historiographical values influences his approach of these texts, providing a bias for his approach
of the reasonings and efforts that may have existed to assert the validity of algorithms existing in this set of texts.
mathematical justifications
that existed
in medieval Sanskrit commentaries? This article will look at a key moment of the history of mathematics in India, when in
1874 and 1875, the German philologer G. F. Thibaut published a translation of a set of Vedic geometrical texts, thus
establishing that India had known other mathematical activities than ``practical calculations". We will observe how his
philological work and historiographical values influences his approach of these texts, providing a bias for his approach
of the reasonings and efforts that may have existed to assert the validity of algorithms existing in this set of texts.
Comment est-ce que les récits sur l'histoire des mathématiques en Inde ont omis la tradition des justifications mathématiques qui ont existé dans des commentaires médiévaux de Sanskrit ? Cet article regardera un moment crucial de l'histoire des mathématiques en Inde, quand en 1874 et 1875, le philologue allemand G. F. Thibaut publie une édition et une traduction d'un ensemble de textes géométriques de l'époque védique, de ce fait établissant que l'Inde avait développé à période ancienne des activités mathématiques autres que `` des calculs pratiques ". Nous observerons comment son travail philologue et ses valeurs historiographiques influencent son approche de ses textes, fournissant un biais dans son approche des raisonnements et des efforts qui ont pu existé pour montrer la validité des algorithmes dans ces textes.
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