Italian Society of History of Mathematics (http://www.dm.unito.it/sism)
In November 2000, on the occasion of the conference "From calculus to analysis, history and prospects", which took place at L’Aquila University, the Italian Society of History of Mathematics (SISM) was founded. The Society’s objective is to stimulate research and studies in the field of history of mathematical sciences, supporting publications and meetings of members and in general the propagation of the culture in history of mathematics.
The Society is characterised by the voluntary activity of its members, who provide their spontaneous contributions free of charge in various ways and engage themselves to pay the annual association fee of Lit. 50,000 (26 Euro), post office account 27353283 registered in the name of the Italian Society of History of Mathematics (SISM), via C. Alberto 10, I 10123 Turin (Italy).
Applications for membership should be addressed to the President, using the form available for this purpose in the Society’s Internet site: www.dm.unito.it/sism/index.html. Seat of the Society is the Department of Mathematics of the University of Torino. All members joining within four months of the foundation date will be considered Founder Members.
For the first two years the President and the Directive Board have been nominated as follows:
President: C. S. Roero
Vice President: L. Pepe
Secretary: L. Giacardi
Treasurer: F. Cattelani
Board members: P. Freguglia, E. Giusti,
G. Israel, P. Napolitani,
F. Palladino
Conferences and meetings in Italy:
24-27 July 2001, Da Hilbert a Poincare': momenti storici significativi, Camigliatello Silano (Cosenza), Hotel Aquila & Edelweiss, per dettagli: Prof. Luigi Maieru'.
1-7 August 2001, L'arte del pensare: logica e matematica, Santuario di S. Ignazio, Lanzo Torinese, Torino
12-14 October 2001, Ruolo delle Societa' scientifiche in Italia, LXVI Riunione della SIPS, Sala conferenze del complesso dei Dioscuri, via Piacenza 1, Roma, organizza C. Bernardini (Presidente SIPS), mail: sips@quipo.it
9-10 November 2001, I Convegno della Societa' Italiana di Storia delle Matematiche, Modena, Dipartimento di Matematica, informazioni: Clara Silvia Roero
Books:
“La Matematica in Italia, 1800 – 1950”, Giusti E. & Pepe L. ed., Il giardino di Archimede: un museo per la matematica, Firenze, 2001.
Contents: Un itinerario attraverso la storia della matematica contemporanea – schede bibliografiche – Indice cronologico delle schede e degli autori.
At their 34th Annual Conference held at Visakhapatnam last year Professor R. C. Gupta, Ph.D., F.N.A.Sc gave his Presidential Address on Aryabhata, the Revotionary Scientist. The introduction to this address is given here.
In 1975, India launched her first artificial satellite called ARYABHATA named after the celebrated Indian scientist who lived 1500 years ago. That was a great event for the nation in the present space era of science and technology. While celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the event, we also have an opportunity to remember Aryabhata and his contribution to the evolution and development of scientific astronomy and mathematics in India. In fact the current academic year 1999-2000 also marks the 1500th anniversary of his celebrated work-the Aryabhatiya believed to be composed in A.D.499.
Following the tradition of attaching divine origin to all sciences, the Narada-purana ascribes the initial enunciation of the Jyotisa-sastra (including mathematics) to Brahma in antiquity. Brahma (or Pitamaha) is also included among the authors of the 5 apauruseya classical siddahantas namely Paitamaha, Saura, Vasistha, Romaka, and Paulisa. Originals of all these are lost but their summary is available in the Panca-siddhantlka of Varahamihira (6th century).
It seems that towards-the end of the 5th century itself, people found that none of the five prevalent Siddhantas was yielding satisfactory result, that is, there were marked differences between predicted and observed astronomical phenomena. The young Aryabhata (born 476) keenly noticed all this, made careful observations, and propounded astronomy on more scientific lines. An ancient saying describes this rescue work in a popular way as follows:
"When the methods of the five Siddhantas began to yield results conflicting with the planets and the eclipses etc., there appeared in the Kali age at Kusumapuri Surya himself in the guise of Aryabhata, the Kulapa expert in astronomy."
The Aryabhatiya was composed in such a needful background and it immortalised the name of Aryabhata forever. It is the first Indian mathematical and astronomical treatise which can be dated with some certainty (in contrast to Vedanga Jyotisa, Sulba-sutras, etc.). In it the Indian astronomy is remodelled on scientific lines using improved astronomical parameters, new techniques, and innovative methods to provide more accurate results. Many new features of Indian astronomy and mathematics appear in it for the first time. Aryabhata has been hailed variously as the father, maker, and saviour of astronomy in India. Indeed his work inspired and motivated further developments of exact sciences in India.
The full address can be found in The Mathematics Teacher (India), Vol.36(2000), pp.1-9 together with details of the Kundkund Gyanapeeth Award given to professor Gupta last March.
Professor Gupta has published about 400 articles on history of mathematics. He is glad to send a list of his publications to anyone interested in them. His contact address is
Prof. R. C. Gupta, Ganita Bharati Academy,
R-20, Ras Bahar Colony, Jhansi-284003, U.P. INDIA
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