Cube Root - History

History

See also: Doubling the cube#History

Greek mathematicians did not try to find the cube root. (A History of Greek Mathematics, Thomas Littl;e Heath).In 499 CE Aryabhata, a great mathematician-astronomer from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy, gave a method for finding the cube root of numbers having many digits in the Aryabhatiya (section 2.5).

Aryabhatta was the first to give a rule to find the cube root. "Having subtracted the greatest possible cube from the last cube place and then having written down the cube root of the number subtracted in the line of the cube root), divide the second non-cube place (standing on the right of the last cube place) by thrice the square of the cube root (already obtained); (then) subtract form the first non-cube place (standing on the right of the second non-cube place) the square of the quotient multiplied by thrice the previous (cube-root); and (then subtract) the cube (of the quotient) from the cube place (standing on the right of the first non-cube place) (and write down the quotient on the right of the previous cube root in the line of the cube root, and treat this as the new cube root. Repeat the process if there is still digits on the right". (Ref. Aryabhatiya, Walter Eugene Clerk).

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