Amartya Kumar Dutta is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. His research interest is in commutative algebra. .

A great mathematical creation could be a profound and potent idea creating a fundamental and revolutionary impact by its very simplicity and elegance, or it could be a deep technical work of great complexity and ingenuity. In the history of mathematics, India seems to have the greatest contribution in introducing simplifying innovations. Three grand instances are: the invention of the decimal notation and creation of modern arithmetic; the invention of the sine and cosine functions leading to the creation of modern trigonometry; and creation of algebra. These master-strokes have influenced and transformed the very nature of mathematics. However, due to the very simplicity of these profound contributions, we do not realise how much admiration they deserve.

Read full article (167 Kb)

Address for Correspondence
Amartya Kumar Dutta
Indian Statistical Institute
203, BT Road Kolkata 700 032, India.