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Radha Charan Gupta

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Radha Charan Gupta (14 August 1935 – 5 September 2024) was an Indian historian of mathematics, specialising in the history of Indian mathematics.

Radha Charan Gupta
Headshot of Gupta looking left, wearing glasses
Gupta in 2023
Born(1935-08-14)14 August 1935
Jhansi, United Provinces, British India
Died5 September 2024(2024-09-05) (aged 89)
Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Education
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsHistory of mathematics
InstitutionsBirla Institute of Technology, Mesra
Thesis Trigonometry in Ancient and Medieval India  (1971)
Doctoral advisorT. A. Sarasvati Amma

Life and career

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Gupta was born on 14 August 1935 in Jhansi, in what is now Uttar Pradesh. He attended secondary school in Jhansi, but there were few opportunities locally to pursue higher education, so he continued his education at the University of Lucknow with a merit scholarship. He married Savitri Devi in 1953, urged by his family to marry young so the dowry received could help pay his sister's dowry. He completed his bachelor's degree in 1955 and his master's degree in 1957.[1]

To support his family, Gupta took a teaching job instead of immediately continuing doctoral studies.[1] He was a lecturer at Lucknow Christian College from 1957 to 1958. In 1958 he joined Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) in Ranchi.[2]

In 1963 he read Datta and Singh's History of Hindu Mathematics, became interested in the history of mathematics, and got to know the mathematical historian T. A. Sarasvati Amma. She later supervised his Ph.D. at Ranchi University, which he finished in 1971 with the dissertation Trigonometry in Ancient and Medieval India.[3]

Starting in 1979, he was in charge of BIT's Research Center for the History of Science.[2] In 1982 he was awarded a full professorship at BIT, where he continued teaching until mandatory retirement in 1995.[3] After retiring, Gupta continued his research in mathematical history.[4]

Gupta died in Jhansi on 5 September 2024, at the age of 89.[5]

Works

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In 1969 Gupta addressed[6] interpolation in Indian mathematics. He wrote on Govindasvamin and his interpolation of sine tables. Furthermore, he contributed an article on the work of Paramesvara: "Paramesvara's rule for the circumradius of a cyclic quadrilateral".[7]

In 2019, a collection of Gupta's papers was published as a book:

  • Gupta, Radha Charan (2019). Ramasubramanian, K. (ed.). Gaṇitānanda: Selected Works of Radha Charan Gupta on History of Mathematics. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-981-13-1229-8. ISBN 978-981-13-1228-1.

Awards and other professional activities

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Gupta was one of the founders of the Indian Society for History of Mathematics, and in 1979 was the founding editor of its journal, Gaṇita Bhāratī, which he edited for over 25 years.[8]

In 1991 he was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, and in 1994 he became President of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of India.[3] He became a corresponding member of the International Academy of the History of Science in February 1995.[9]

In 2009 he was awarded the Kenneth O. May Prize alongside the British mathematician Ivor Grattan-Guinness.[10] He was the first Indian to receive this prize.[11]

In 2023, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contributions in the field of literature and education.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b Ramasubramanian, K. (2019). "Preface to the First Edition". In Ramasubramanian, K. (ed.). Gaṇitānanda. Springer. pp. xiii–xviii. doi:10.1007/978-981-13-1229-8. ISBN 978-981-13-1228-1.
  2. ^ a b Scriba, Christoph J. (1996). "A Birthday Tribute to R. C. Gupta". Historia Mathematica. 23 (2): 117–120. doi:10.1006/hmat.1996.0014. Republished in Ramasubramanian, K., ed. (2019). Gaṇitānanda. Springer. pp. 9–12. doi:10.1007/978-981-13-1229-8_2.
  3. ^ a b c Awarding of the K.O. May Prize from International Mathematical Union
  4. ^ Plofker, Kim (2009). "Professor R. C. Gupta Receives the Kenneth O. May Prize". Gaṇita Bhāratī. 31 (1–2): 115–118. Republished in Ramasubramanian, K., ed. (2019). Gaṇitānanda. Springer. pp. 13–15. doi:10.1007/978-981-13-1229-8_3.
  5. ^ Jhansi: पद्मश्री डॉ. राधाचरण गुप्ता का निधन, शिक्षक दिवस पर ली अंतिम सांस, उनके योगदान को रखा जाएगा जीवित [Padma Shri Dr. Radha Charan Gupta passed away, breathed his last on Teacher's Day, his contribution will be kept alive]. Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 5 Sep 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
    "Doyen of Vedic Mathematics Professor Radha Charan Gupta Dies, Bundelkhand University Mourns". News18. 5 Sep 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  6. ^ R.C Gupta (1969) "Second Order of Interpolation of Indian Mathematics", Indian Journal of History of Science 4: 92–94
  7. ^ R.C. Gupta (1977) Historia Mathematica 4(1): 67–74 doi:10.1016/0315-0860(77)90038-6
  8. ^ Rajendra Bhatia (2010). Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematicians, v.I, Volume 1. World Scientific. p. 42. ISBN 9789814324359.
  9. ^ "Radha-Charan Gupta". International Academy of the History of Science.
  10. ^ "Indian professor wins prestigious mathematics prize". Deccan Herald. 8 Jul 2010. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
    "Radha Gupta Will Receive Kenneth O. May Prize at ICM 2010". Mathematical Association of America. Archived from the original on 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  11. ^ "First Indian to get Prize in ICM2010" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Padma Awards 2023 announced". Press Information Buereau. Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Retrieved 2023-01-26.

Further reading

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