Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c5.s3.1

c5.s3.1

For representation of large numbers, different specifications seem to have been necessitated to indicate them correctly. For instance, the raising of a number to its own power was technically known as *varga saṃvargita*. First *varga saṃvargita* of a = aa = b, say; second *varga saṃvargita* of a = bb = (aa)aa = c, say. Third *varga saṃvargita* of a = cc etc. In this process third *varga saṃvargita* of 2 comes out to be (256)²⁵⁶, a number higher than the number of electrons in the universe. To express a large number, Jaina authors (c. 300 B.C.) employed powers of integers now known as laws of indices, examples like : $am × an = am+n, (am)n = amn$ are found in their texts.¹