Bhāskara II

Bhaskara, and Bhaskara II or Bhaskaracharya ( " Bhaskara the teacher") (* 1114 in Bijjada Bida, † 1185 ) was an Indian mathematician.

He was born in Bijjada Bida near Bijapur in present-day Indian state of Karnataka, was director of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain, and continued the mathematical tradition of Brahmagupta and Varahamihira.

His main scientific works are Lilavati, which mainly deals with arithmetic, Bijaganita, a treatise on algebra, and Siddhantasiromani, which in turn consists of two parts: Goladhyaya ( sphere ) and Grahaganita (mathematics and astronomy ).

Based on an idea presented in Sanskrit writings as early as the 5th century, Bhaskara described a wheel, which, he thought, would turn forever - an early perpetual motion machine. He was, as not so many after him, the physical impossibility of such a machine clear.