La construction tractionnelle des équations différentielles By D. Tournès. Paris (Albert Blanchard). 2009. ISBN: 978-2-85367-247-4. viii, 406 pp. No price given (original) (raw)

The edition of the text of the Ga _ nitasārakaumud ı is based on that of the Nahatas referred to above. The manuscript discovered by the Nahatas is the only known manuscript of the text, but, unfortunately, its whereabouts are no longer known. SaKHYa therefore only had the Nahatas' edition available when producing their book, and, as a result, what we have is a revised version of the Nahatas' edition. The Nahatas' text has been emended, when deemed necessary for mathematical or other reasons, but the original readings have been preserved in footnotes. Furthermore, words have been separated independently of phonetic changes, which makes it easier to find a word in the text. The English translation presented in Part Three is literal and precise. The mathematical commentary in Part Four elaborates on the translation, contextualizing and explaining it. Finally, the appendices provide a concordance between the Ga _ nitasārakaumud ı and other works, a glossary-index to the text, and other useful tools. Overall, the volume is a wonderful contribution to the field of the history of mathematics in India. The text is carefully edited, the translation precise, and the mathematical commentary solid and informative. Moreover, the introduction puts the material in the appropriate historical context. As a result, the volume will be of value both to the specialist, who will want to consult the original text, as well as to a more casual reader, looking to learn more about mathematics in India in the 14th century. It is hoped that SaKHYa will continue their good work on Indian mathematics and that their collaboration will produce more volumes like the present one.