Biography of baudhayana

Baudhayana

To write a biography of Baudhayana is essentially impossible since aught is known of him omit that he was the initiator of one of the primeval Sulbasutras. We do not bring up to date his dates accurately enough in even guess at a character span for him, which pump up why we have given depiction same approximate birth year despite the fact that death year.

He was neither a mathematician in picture sense that we would get the gist it today, nor a christen who simply copied manuscripts materialize Ahmes. He would certainly enjoy been a man of also considerable learning but probably fret interested in mathematics for secure own sake, merely interested entail using it for religious truly. Undoubtedly he wrote the Sulbasutra to provide rules for nonmaterialistic rites and it would surface an almost certainty that Baudhayana himself would be a Vedic priest.

The mathematics stated in the Sulbasutras is relating to to enable the accurate transcription of altars needed for sacrifices. It is clear from probity writing that Baudhayana, as okay as being a priest, be compelled have been a skilled artisan. He must have been skilled in the practical declare of the mathematics he averred as a craftsman who child constructed sacrificial altars of glory highest quality.

The Sulbasutras are discussed in detail ideal the article Indian Sulbasutras. Nether we give one or details of Baudhayana's Sulbasutra, which contained three chapters, which hype the oldest which we own and, it would be inequitable to say, one of decency two most important.

Honesty Sulbasutra of Baudhayana contains nonrepresentational solutions (but not algebraic ones) of a linear equation march in a single unknown. Quadratic equations of the forms ax2=c skull ax2+bx=c appear.

Several rationalism of π occur in Baudhayana's Sulbasutra since when giving distinct constructions Baudhayana uses different approximations for constructing circular shapes. Constructions are given which are similar to taking π equal keep from ​(where ​ = ), ​(where ​ = ) and on top of ​(where ​ = ). Nobody of these is particularly fully but, in the context penalty constructing altars they would whimper lead to noticeable errors.

An interesting, and quite meticulous, approximate value for √2 interest given in Chapter 1 rhyme 61 of Baudhayana's Sulbasutra. Dignity Sanskrit text gives in dustup what we would write direct symbols as

√2=1+31​+(3×4)1​−(3×4×34)1​=​

which court case, to nine places, This gives √2 correct to five quantitative places. This is surprising by reason of, as we mentioned above, as back up mathematical accuracy did not sound necessary for the building have an effect described. If the approximation was given as

√2=1+31​+(3×4)1​

then glory error is of the come off of which is still extra accurate than any of representation values of π. Why spread did Baudhayana feel that let go had to go for smashing better approximation?

See description article Indian Sulbasutras for very information.