Tag Archives: ancient age

binary number system and indian history

Binary numbers, number system, decimal codes, computer and technology, Binary codes , information theory, digitallogic gate these things are co-realated with each other . Binary numbers we generally come to know about this number system in our junior year computer class and we used to solve this kind of binary protblemes like convert the decimal number to binary number .

so let’s know what is binary number system binary number is a number expressed in the base-2 numeral system or binary numeral system, which uses only two symbols: typically “0” (zero) and “1” (one).A binary code represents text, computer processor instructions, or any other data using a two-symbol system. The two-symbol system used is often “0” and “1” from the binary number system. The binary code assigns a pattern of binary digits, also known as bits, to each character, instruction, etc

now if we serch for the history for the binary number system theory or binary code , source show that the modern binary number system, the basis for binary code, was invented by Gottfried Leibniz in 1689 and appears in his article Explication de l’Arithmétique Binaire. The full title is translated into English as the “Explanation of the binary arithmetic”, 

But In India the binary number system came around 3rd or 2nd century, Acharya Pingala an ancient Indian mathematician invented binary system , it,s assumes that he was 1st inventor of binary system in the world. Acharya Pingala authored Chandaḥśāstra (Pingala-sustra) or Chandhas refers to one of the six Vedangas or limbs of vedic studies Chandaḥśāstra literally translate to sciece of meters in Sanskrit. Pingala used binary numbers in the form of short and long syllebles making it similar to Morse code, here the binary numbers increased toward the right and not to the left like in The modern binary system, in this book number started from 1 not 0 . Pingala used laghu(light) and guru(heavy) rather than 0 and 1 described syllbles,(four short syllables—binary “0000”—is the first pattern),

That the binary code was invented in India is hardly a surprise. Not long ago, scientists discovered a very intriguing  ancient Indian text known as the Bakhshali manuscript that re-writes history of number zero and mathematics.

Bakhshali manuscript – Image credit: Bodleian Library


Advertisement