Taylor / Newton (17th c.)

The mathematical concept known globally as the "Taylor Series," a foundational element of calculus, is widely attributed to 17th-century Western mathematicians like Brook Taylor and Isaac Newton. This attribution is cemented in academic curricula and textbooks worldwide, presenting the series as a European invention. The series, which provides infinite polynomial approximations of functions, underpins much of modern science and engineering.

The infinite series for sine, cosine, and arctangent were developed centuries earlier by Madhava of Sangamagrama and the Kerala School of Mathematics and Astronomy. Originating in Kerala, India, this school (കേരള गणित शाला) was a vibrant intellectual center where mathematicians and astronomers made significant advancements in infinite series, calculus, and astronomy between the 14th and 16th centuries. Their work, deeply embedded in a tradition of sacred knowledge and astronomical observation, predates European discoveries by approximately 300 years.

The appropriation of these mathematical concepts has been highlighted by historians of science and mathematics, particularly those studying non-Western contributions. The core objection is the systemic failure to acknowledge Madhava and the Kerala School, effectively erasing their pioneering work from the global narrative of calculus. Critics point to the established textbook canon, which perpetuates the myth of exclusive Western invention, thereby denying due credit to the Indian originators and misrepresenting the true historical development of mathematics.