Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c4.s1.6

c4.s1.6

There is some controversy about the birth place of Baudhāyana, the oldest *śulbakār*, some locating it in the Andhra country in the South while others in the Āryāvarta, the region between the river Gaṅgā and Yamunā². His *Baudhāyanaśulbasūtra*³ is complete in three chapters. Baudhāyana never claimed that he was the first to discover the principles of geometry or applied them to the problems of construction of altars. He gave a general enunciation of the Pythagoras’ theorem, an approximate value of √2 correct to five places of decimal, construction of a square equal to sum or difference of two squares, various methods of transformation of one figure to another etc. The native place of next *śulbakār* Āpastamba has been located similarly in a controversial manner either in the Andhra country or in Kurupāncāla¹. His *Āpastambaśulbasūtra*² is complete in six chapters. It gives in more detail the similar constructions, geometrical propositions and rules applicable for other constructions. The *śulbasūtras* of Kātyāyana³ and Mānava⁴ having similar contents are published, and the remaining śulbas are still in manuscript form. The *śulbasūtras* of Baudhāyana, Āpastamba and Kātyāyana belong to the former class and these give us a picture of development of early geometry and mathematics in India before the rise and advent of Jaina sect ( c. 500-300 B.C. ). The śulbasūtras of Mānava, Maitrāyana, Vārāha and Hiraṇyakeśī which belong to the latter class add very little to the knowledge of information available in this respect.