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How did Aryabhata calculate an approximation for pi?
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Indian mathematics
The evolution of Hindu-Arabic numerals from Brahmi through Devanagari and Arabic to European scripts.
In his treatise Aryabhatiya, the Indian mathematician Aryabhata calculated an approximation for pi by using the fraction 62,832/20,000.123
This calculation yields a value of 3.1416, which is remarkably close to the actual value of pi (approximately 3.14159). Aryabhata presented this value within the "Ganita" ("Mathematics") section of his work while treating geometric measurements, such as the properties of circles and right-angled triangles. His approximation was later supported by the mathematician Bhaskara I, who used it to critique less accurate traditional approximations, such as the use of .234