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Western claims about Greek astronomy and maths in general and about Ptolemy in particular are deeply problematic.
We have no sure means to actually know what exactly this ptolemy discovered.
why?
Thread. https://twitter.com/Hiranyareta/status/1355382796462731274
We have no sure means to actually know what exactly this ptolemy discovered.
why?
Thread. https://twitter.com/Hiranyareta/status/1355382796462731274
Almagest, attributed to this ptolemy is an accretive text ie it had several additions from different authors.
How?
1. Its star list is headed by current day pole star which was NOT the pole star in 2nd Century when he had allegedly written that text
2/n
How?
1. Its star list is headed by current day pole star which was NOT the pole star in 2nd Century when he had allegedly written that text
2/n
2. It does not have epistemological continuity- while it struggles to give correct duration of a year to 2nd place after decimal point, certain parameters concerning mean longitudenal motion of moon have been given to an accuracy of 14-15 places after decimal point!
3/n
3/n
These arguments prove that its laughable to say that today's Almagest can be entirely attributed to ptolemy in 2nd century!!
Almost all Greek texts about Maths and science comes from 2 sources- Arabian translations of them from from captured Toledo library and 4/n
Almost all Greek texts about Maths and science comes from 2 sources- Arabian translations of them from from captured Toledo library and 4/n
And Byzantine greek texts which flooded Europe after constantinopole fell to Ottoman turks.
Notice that In both sources, actual manuscript of text comes after 1000 yrs of its alleged composition by alleged greek author without the intervening chain of commentaries!!
5/n
Notice that In both sources, actual manuscript of text comes after 1000 yrs of its alleged composition by alleged greek author without the intervening chain of commentaries!!
5/n
Hence all greek texts are actually from post 9th Century CE, often in different language, in different land.
Its laughable to suggest that these texts reflect greek knowledge some 1000 yrs ago.
why?
6/n
Its laughable to suggest that these texts reflect greek knowledge some 1000 yrs ago.
why?
6/n
Scientific texts are accretive.
In Pre modern times, scribes were employed to copy out the text lest decaying manuscripts gets destroyed due to natural reasons.
These scribes then used to add latest knowledge available to them in that text so that they texts remains useful
7/n
In Pre modern times, scribes were employed to copy out the text lest decaying manuscripts gets destroyed due to natural reasons.
These scribes then used to add latest knowledge available to them in that text so that they texts remains useful
7/n
They were not just copying the texts for the benefit of modern historians!!
As the texts were scientific, they had to be useful and hence latest addition of knowledge used to take place liberally.
8/n
As the texts were scientific, they had to be useful and hence latest addition of knowledge used to take place liberally.
8/n
Persia and later arabs made huge investment in knowledge and gathered manuscripts from everywhere(India,china,greece,egypt) to form the House of Knowledge in Baghadad.
All this knowledge was then added to the greek texts via accretion.
9/n
All this knowledge was then added to the greek texts via accretion.
9/n
But western authors, insidiously claim that greek texts coming from arabian libraries are the exact copies of what some alleged greek author had wrote some 1000 yrs ago, without the intervening chain of commentaries linking the current text to original!!!
This is extraordinary!!
This is extraordinary!!
They go even a step further and claim that Siddhantic texts of astronomy in India borrowed from greeks, based on these late texts whose author is separated from extant manuscripts by 1000 yrs!!
Coming to Almagest, there is another reason why we cant let westerners+
11/n
Coming to Almagest, there is another reason why we cant let westerners+
11/n
suggest that Indian astronomy borrowed from almagest.
It has been found that almost all astronomical observations recorded in Almagest are fake and are back calculated by presupposing a particular astronomical model!!
@Hiranyareta
12/n
It has been found that almost all astronomical observations recorded in Almagest are fake and are back calculated by presupposing a particular astronomical model!!
@Hiranyareta
12/n
Alleged author Ptolemy was engaging in a fraud and writing fake observations to conform the presupposed theory in his mind!
RR Newton has written an entire book called 'Crime of Claudius Ptolemy' where he exposes this fraud decisively.
13/n
RR Newton has written an entire book called 'Crime of Claudius Ptolemy' where he exposes this fraud decisively.
13/n
Published by John Hopkins Uni. Press, Newton says,
“We can say that all of Ptolemy’s observations that can be tested are fabricated,”
“Further, we can say that all of his theories depend heavily on fabricated data, and some of them seem to depend completely upon such data"
“We can say that all of Ptolemy’s observations that can be tested are fabricated,”
“Further, we can say that all of his theories depend heavily on fabricated data, and some of them seem to depend completely upon such data"
And Mind you date of ptolemy is also calculated by dating some key observations in almagest.
Since Surya Siddhanta is dated to 3rd CE, it becomes incumbent for westerners to date ptolemy at least before that but as we saw those observations are all fabricated, hence we +
15/n
Since Surya Siddhanta is dated to 3rd CE, it becomes incumbent for westerners to date ptolemy at least before that but as we saw those observations are all fabricated, hence we +
15/n
Cannot be sure of ptolemy's date anymore.
We should note that this is the case with almost all ancient greek works- a manuscript coming from post 9th century,in another language, from another land but wildly believed exact copy of alleged original written 1000 years ago!
16/n
We should note that this is the case with almost all ancient greek works- a manuscript coming from post 9th century,in another language, from another land but wildly believed exact copy of alleged original written 1000 years ago!
16/n
There is a more general reason however, apart from argument of accretion in late texts, to not believe wild stories of greek achievements of science and maths!
Greeks and Romans used abacus to calculate and they had no place value system
17/n
Greeks and Romans used abacus to calculate and they had no place value system
17/n
Before the invention of Indian decimal place value system and algorithms based on that, it was atrociously difficult to even perform basic arithmatic operations!!
noted mathematician Tobias Dantzig observes:
18/n
noted mathematician Tobias Dantzig observes:
18/n
Greeks and romans would take days for 'complex' multiplication like 7840787 multiplied by 455668!!
These guys were computationally handicapped and arithmatically challanged
Its impossible that any worthwhile astronomical discovery would have come from these guys as +
19/n
These guys were computationally handicapped and arithmatically challanged
Its impossible that any worthwhile astronomical discovery would have come from these guys as +
19/n
Astronomy requires ability to do complex calculations and numerical manipulations!
Invention and dissemination of Indian decimal place value system based algorithms was a black swan event which revolutionalized ancient-medieval world, hence noted french historian Iffrah observes:
Invention and dissemination of Indian decimal place value system based algorithms was a black swan event which revolutionalized ancient-medieval world, hence noted french historian Iffrah observes:
This invention of place value system based algorithms is a precise reason for Indian preeminence in scientific fields ranging from astronomy to medicine.
Severus sebokht, a 7th century greek bishop also makes similar observation, when comparing greek and Indian astronomy:
Severus sebokht, a 7th century greek bishop also makes similar observation, when comparing greek and Indian astronomy:
Note- this is reformulated presentation of the knowledge I learnt from Prof CK raju's works.
He helped us build our first super computer and have cutting edge publications discussing very important problems in maths and science on his name!
Please check his works
He helped us build our first super computer and have cutting edge publications discussing very important problems in maths and science on his name!
Please check his works
