In 14th century Kerala, the astronomer and mathematician Madhava of Sangamagrama (1349-1425) can lay claim to the title of the man who knew infinity. The first known proofs of an infinite series expansion were devised here, in what came to be known as the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. It’s a discovery that serves as a precursor to calculus.
More than 200 years after these proofs were first made, Western mathematicians such as Isaac Newton and James Gregory ‘discovered‘ them anew, calling the proof the Gregory-Leibniz series). Madhava operated near modern day Irinjalakuda, near Cochin – a prominent trading port in his time. Writing on the forgotten history of Kerala’s mathematicians, George Gheverghese Joseph calls Madhava a pioneer in his field:
We may consider Madhava to have been the founder of mathematical analysis. Some of his discoveries in this field show him to have possessed extraordinary intuition.
Though little is known about Madhava’s life, George writes that he belonged to a priestly class called Emprantiri, comprised of Brahmins who integrated into Kerala after arriving from coastal Karnataka. He hailed from a house called ‘Bakuladhistitaviharam’ (also known as Ilaininnapalli in Malayaam), from the village of Sangamagrama.
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