The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c15.109

c15.109

This formula follows also from the method of the transformation of a rectangle into a square, which is commonly found in all the works on the *Śulba*. If p, q be the length and breadth of the rectangle to be transformed, it has been stated that the equivalent square will be given by the difference of the two squares ((p+q)/2)² and ((p-q)/2)². Thus $pq + ((p-q)/2)² = ((p+q)/2)².$