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[edit] Dubious

"Bhaskara II conceived the modern mathematical convention that when a finite number is divided by zero, the result is infinity." I do not believe that is part of modern mathematical convention. Division by zero can lead anywhere and is not a valid operation in most situations.Details.JascalX (talk) 02:58, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

"Proved that anything divided by zero is infinity in addition to establishing that infinity divided by anything remains infinity."

The above sentence is incorrect. Only non-negative real numbers divided by zero result in infinity. However, I don't know what Bhaskara proved. I'm tagging the article as dubious. --hdante 06:01, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

If you are suggesting that negative real numbers divided by zero result in a distinct negative infinity, it is certainly possible that Bhaskara identified positive and negative infinities, a la the real projective line. However, I'd agree that the article needs clarification on what exactly it was that Bhaskara "proved" about division and infinity. -Chinju 21:58, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

(Let me also note right off the bat that it's difficult to see a good motivation for concluding that 0/0 is infinity or that infinity/infinity = infinity; even if Bhaskara was thinking of something like the real projective line, on these particulars it would not support him [if the statement above of his conclusions is accurate].) -Chinju 22:03, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

I've removed the sentence. If someone knows what he actually said then they might put that in, but as it stands, it was nonsense. Gene Ward Smith 07:34, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

As an answer to Chinju. In the Lïlävatï, we find this text: a number divided by zero will be: "what has zero for divisor"; multiplied by zero, it is only zero but, in case of another prescription (ie. a new operation), it must remain in mind that it is "what has zero as a multiplier"; if zero is a multiplier and, again, zero is a divisor then the number has to be considered as unaltered

This means that ax0/0=a. And this is used by commentators in order to prove that a number divided by zero is infinite (I'll give Bhäskara's stanza later on about this word): suppose you have to calculate a/0 + b; you reduce to the same denominator: [a + (bx0)]/0 = a/0. So a/0 remains inchanged if you add (or remove) any number to this quantity.

In the Bïjagaṇita, Bhäskara says that a number divided by zero has also the name "illimited" (an-anta) and he explains the meaning of illimited with a stanza (based on a religious image): There must not be any change for it, which has been divided by zero, when quantities are added to, or removed from, it, as there is no change to the "Illimited" (ananta, another name of god Viṣṇu) when, at the time of the destruction of the world, as at the time of its creation, a multitude of beings enter in, or go out of, Viṣṇu.

François Patte 13:51, 30 August 2006 (ITC)

[edit] Contributions

I have no doubt about Bhaskara's significant contributions to Mathematics (including subfields), but the article seems a bit lengthy. Is it really necessary to list every single thing he ever did? Why not shorten the list(s) to the more important items (as opposed to what he "conceived" or conceptualized)?--ndyguy 16:46, 15 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] References ?

When I look at the math history article MacTutor History of mathematics page I find no reference to calculus under Bhaskara's article. The only references given to this seem to be slides on a physists webpage. Are their any scholarly articles on the subject? Shouldn't those be listed. Thenub314 14:58, 27 September 2006 (UTC)