History of Hindu Mathematics: A Source Book v2.c17.s8.23

v2.c17.s8.23

Though Āryabhaṭa I has nowhere indicated any method of solving the quadratic, it appears from the above two forms that he followed two different methods in order to make the unknown side of the equation ax² + bx = c, a perfect square. In one case he multiplied both the sides of the equation by 4a and in the other simply by a.