Mathematical Treasure: Reuben Burrow’s Article on Indian Mathematics

Author(s):

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)

English mathematician and surveyor Reuben Burrow (1747–1792) worked for Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne before traveling to the East Indies and reinventing himself as an orientalist. He taught himself Sanskrit and focused his research on mathematics. He became an early member of the Asiatic Society and published several articles in its journal, Asiatic Researches. This 1799 article, “A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem,” was one of the first English language publications to call attention to Hindu mathematics.

The title page and advertisement for this issue of the journal:

Title page for Asiatic Researches, volume 2 (1799). Advertisement for Asiatic Researches, volume 2 (1799).

The article is shown in full:

First page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Second page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Third page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Fourth page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Fifth page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Sixth page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Seventh page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Eighth page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Ninth page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

Tenth and final page of "A Proof that the Hindoos Had the Binomial Theorem."

A digitization of volume 2 of Asiatic Researches is available in the Internet Archive.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Reuben Burrow’s Article on Indian Mathematics," Convergence (October 2021)

Convergence

Tags:

History of Mathematics