Mathematics in Ancient and Medieval India c7.s5.146

c7.s5.146

The basis for Chinese contribution is placed on the following example found in the *Sun-Tzu Suan Ching*.³ "There are certain things whose number is unknown. Repeatedly divided by 3, the remainder is 2; by 5 the remainder is 3; and by 7, the remainder is 2. What will be the numbers ?". No process of finding them has been indicated. The solution can be obtained by inspection⁴. The application of the equation : by = ax ± c was first found in a calendrical work, *Ta-Yenli* of I-Hsing⁵ ( 683–727 A. D.). The problems of indeterminate analysis found in *Ta-Yenli* was solved by I-Hsing with a method *Ta-Yen-Shu*⁶ which was similar to the Indian method of *kuṭṭaka*.⁷ I-Hsing came to India in 673 A. D., became a Tantric-Buddhist monk and learnt Sanskrit. Hence it is quite possible that I–Hsing acquired the technique of solving indeterminate problems from Indian scholars and it is through his effort, the knowledge was carried to China.