Integrating Aryabhata’s Kuttaka Method into Contemporary Mathematics Education: A Narrative Review of Pedagogical Potential

The Kuttaka method, an ancient Indian algorithm provided by Aryabhata, is an important landmark in the solutions of Linear Diophantine equations. The study deals with the mathematics involved in the Kuttaka method, its historical evolution and its implications in modern mathematics teaching and learning. Its systematic approach and iterations represent the beginning of algorithmic thinking and it looks strikingly similar to the Euclidean algorithm. The paper provides a qualitative review of relevant literature on the use of Kuttaka method to enhance students’ understanding of number theory and computational thinking skills. It identifies the significance of the method holding a comparison with other proven ethnomathematical traditions. The review also analyses the relevance of the method in the mathematics education and identifies the limited representation of Indian indigenous techniques in the present curricula. It argues and provides evidences for incorporating Kuttaka method in the secondary school curricula to promote and embrace culturally relevant pedagogy and Indian knowledge system (IKS). Moreover, the relevance of the method in the fields of cryptography and astronomy proves its importance and its inclusion in the modern curricula is in tune with the present-day educational objectives including NEP-2020. The study concludes with suggesting ways of curricula inclusion and preparedness of teacher for fruitful transaction of the method, discusses its challenges for classroom integration and also opens avenues for exploring the indigenous mathematical approaches in contemporary education.

Kuttaka method, Diophantine equations, algorithmic thinking, computational thinking

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