[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Science, technology and education](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science) › [The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.datta-1932) › c20.s2.6 # The Science of the Shulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c20.s2.6 The Science of the Śulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry c20.s2.6 - **Language:** English ### [c20.s2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.datta-1932.c20.s2.6) "How far the Sūtrakāras went in their experiments we are of course unable to say; the list up to twenty suffices for our purposes. Three cases occur in which the number expressing the square of the diagonal of a square differs only by one from a square number; 8—9; 50—49; 288—289; the last case being most favourable, as it involves the largest numbers. The diagonal of a square the side of which was equal to twelve, was very little shorter than seventeen (√289=17). Would it then not be possible to reduce 17 in such a way as to render the square of the reduced number equal or almost equal to 288? - [Previous: c20.s2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.datta-1932.c20.s2.5) - [Next: c20.s2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.datta-1932.c20.s2.7) - [Up: c20.s2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.datta-1932.c20.s2) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.datta-1932.c20.s2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.datta-1932.c20.s2.6) · Pramāṇa