George Thibaut

thumb George Frederick William Thibaut GBR CIE (March 20, 1848 – 1914) was a German Indologist notable for his contributions to the understanding of ancient Indian mathematics and astronomy. Quotes […] whatever is closely connected with the ancient Indian religion must be considered as having sprung up among the Indian themselves, unless positive evidence of the strongest kind point to a contrary conclusion. Thibaut, G. ‘On the Sulvasutras’. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. XLIV, (1875): pp. 227. in The Sulbasutras and the 'Pythagoras Theorem' Quotes about I was amazed at how this outstanding connoisseur of Indian knowledge in the field of exact sciences showed himself to be so captive to Cantor’s authority. ich wunderte mich, wie befangen sich dieser hervorragende Kenner des indischen Wissens auf dem Gebiet der exakten Wissenschaften der Autorität Cantors gegenüber zeigte. Simon, Max. Geschichte der Mathematik im Altertum. Berlin 1909.in The Sulbasutras and the 'Pythagoras Theorem' I cannot help thinking that it shows battle weariness rather than a considered opinion. Abraham Seidenberg, Commenting on how Thibaut was a victim to Cantor’s authority when he downplayed the importance of the Sulbasutras. in The Sulbasutras and the 'Pythagoras Theorem' […] nor did he [Thibaut] formulate the obvious conclusion, namely, that the Greeks were not the inventors of plane geometry, rather it was the Indians. At least this was the message that the Greek scholars saw in Thibaut’s paper. And they didn’t like it... If the Indians invented plane geometry, what was to become of Greek ‘genius’ or of the Greek ‘miracle’? Seidenberg, A. ‘The Origin of Mathematics’. Archive for History of Exact Sciences, Vol. 18, No. 4, (1978): pp. 301-342. in The Sulbasutras and the 'Pythagoras Theorem' External links Thibaut, George Frederick William Category:1848 births Category:1914 deaths Category:Hindu astronomy Category:Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Category:German historians of mathematics Category:Academic staff of the University of Calcutta Category:German male non-fiction writers