Multiple Choice Questions on Ancient Indian

Mathematicians and Astronomers

Anupam Nigam

1 Baudhayana (c. 800 BCE)

1. Baudhayana is best known for his work on:
(a) Algebra
(b) Geometry
(c) Trigonometry
(d) Calculus
2. The mathematical text authored by Baudhayana is called:
(a) Aryabhatiya
(b) Siddhanta Shiromani
(c) Baudhayana Shulba Sutra
(d) Lilavati
3. Baudhayana belonged to which school of Vedic priests?
(a) Rigveda
(b) Samaveda
(c) Yajurveda
(d) Atharvaveda
4. Baudhayana’s work primarily focused on:
(a) Planetary motions
(b) Construction of fire altars
(c) Solving quadratic equations
(d) Predicting eclipses
5. Which of the following theorems did Baudhayana state, predating Pythago-
ras?
(a) Pythagorean theorem

1
 (b) Fermat’s Last Theorem
(c) Euler’s theorem
(d) Gauss’s theorem
√
6. Baudhayana’s approximation of 2 is:
1 1 1
(a) 1 + 3 + 3×4 − 3×4×34
1 1 1
(b) 1 + 2 + 2×3 − 2×3×23
1 1 1
(c) 1 + 4 + 4×5 − 4×5×45
1 1 1
(d) 1 + 5 + 5×6 − 5×6×56

7. In which present-day state of India was Baudhayana born?

(a) Maharashtra
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Bihar
(d) Tamil Nadu
8. Baudhayana’s work influenced which of the following fields?
(a) Religious architecture
(b) Oceanography
(c) Metallurgy
(d) Linguistics
9. The Baudhayana Shulba Sutra is primarily concerned with:
(a) Astronomical calculations
(b) Geometric constructions
(c) Algebraic equations
(d) Trigonometric identities
10. Which of the following statements about Baudhayana is true?
(a) He invented the concept of zero
(b) He predated famous Greek mathematicians in some discoveries
(c) He developed the decimal system
(d) He calculated the value of pi to 5 decimal places
11. Baudhayana’s methods for geometric constructions were used for:
(a) Building bridges
(b) Designing irrigation systems
(c) Constructing ritual altars

2
 (d) Planning cities
12. The Baudhayana Shulba Sutra is written in:
(a) Sanskrit verse
(b) Prakrit prose
(c) Pali verse
(d) Tamil prose
13. Which of the following is NOT a subject covered in Baudhayana’s works?
(a) Dharma (religious duty)
(b) Geometry
(c) Ritual practices
(d) Planetary motions
14. Baudhayana’s work on geometry was primarily motivated by:
(a) Scientific curiosity
(b) Religious requirements
(c) Military strategy
(d) Trade calculations
15. The Baudhayana Shulba Sutra is estimated to have been composed around:
(a) 1500 BCE
(b) 800 BCE
(c) 500 BCE
(d) 200 BCE

2 Aryabhata (476-550 CE)

1. Aryabhata was born in:
(a) Pataliputra (modern-day Patna)
(b) Ujjain
(c) Nalanda
(d) Varanasi
2. Aryabhata’s most famous work is:
(a) Brahmasphutasiddhanta
(b) Siddhanta Shiromani
(c) Aryabhatiya

3
 (d) Lilavati
3. At what age did Aryabhata write the Aryabhatiya?
(a) 16
(b) 23
(c) 32
(d) 41
4. Which of the following astronomical ideas did Aryabhata propose?
(a) The Earth is flat
(b) The Sun revolves around the Earth
(c) The Earth rotates on its axis
(d) The Moon is larger than the Earth
5. Aryabhata’s approximation of π is:
(a) 3.1415
(b) 3.1416
(c) 3.1417
(d) 3.1418
6. Which of the following mathematical concepts did Aryabhata work on?
(a) Integral calculus
(b) Differential equations
(c) Trigonometric functions
(d) Complex numbers
7. Aryabhata’s explanation for lunar eclipses was:
(a) The moon enters Earth’s shadow
(b) A demon swallows the moon
(c) The sun moves between Earth and the moon
(d) The moon becomes invisible due to its phase
8. According to Aryabhata, the ratio of Earth’s diameter to the moon’s is:
(a) 86:1
(b) 97:1
(c) 108:1
(d) 119:1
9. Which of the following did Aryabhata NOT work on?

4
 (a) Algebra
(b) Trigonometry
(c) Astronomy
(d) Calculus
10. Aryabhata calculated the Earth’s rotation period as:
(a) 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.1 seconds
(b) 24 hours exactly
(c) 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds
(d) 24 hours, 1 minute, 4.1 seconds
11. Which ancient university is Aryabhata associated with?
(a) Takshashila
(b) Nalanda
(c) Vikramashila
(d) Vallabhi
12. Aryabhata’s work was translated into which language, influencing Middle
Eastern mathematics?
(a) Greek
(b) Latin
(c) Arabic
(d) Persian
13. Which of the following statements about Aryabhata is true?
(a) He invented the concept of zero
(b) He proposed a heliocentric model of the solar system
(c) He accurately calculated the Earth’s circumference
(d) He developed the decimal place value system
14. Aryabhata’s method for solving linear equations is known as:
(a) Kuttaka
(b) Chakravala
(c) Virahanka
(d) Bhavana
15. Which of the following astronomical instruments is Aryabhata known to
have used?
(a) Telescope
(b) Astrolabe
(c) Armillary sphere
(d) Sextant

5
3 Brahmagupta (598-668 CE)
1. Brahmagupta was born in:
(a) Ujjain
(b) Bhinmal
(c) Pataliputra
(d) Nalanda
2. Brahmagupta’s most famous work is:
(a) Aryabhatiya
(b) Siddhanta Shiromani
(c) Brahmasphutasiddhanta
(d) Lilavati
3. At what age did Brahmagupta write the Brahmasphutasiddhanta?
(a) 20
(b) 25
(c) 30
(d) 35
4. Which of the following mathematical concepts did Brahmagupta intro-
duce?
(a) Zero as a number
(b) Decimal system
(c) Pythagorean theorem
(d) Logarithms
5. Brahmagupta’s formula is used to calculate the area of:
(a) A triangle
(b) A circle
(c) A cyclic quadrilateral
(d) An ellipse
6. Which of the following equations did Brahmagupta solve?
(a) Linear equations
(b) Quadratic equations
(c) Cubic equations
(d) Differential equations

6
 7. Brahmagupta was the head of the astronomical observatory at:
(a) Nalanda
(b) Takshashila
(c) Ujjain
(d) Varanasi
8. Which of the following statements about Brahmagupta’s work on zero is
true?

(a) He invented zero

(b) He provided rules for arithmetic operations with zero
(c) He used zero only as a placeholder
(d) He rejected the concept of zero
9. Brahmagupta’s identity states that:

(a) (a2 + b2 )(c2 + d2 ) = (ac + bd)2 + (ad − bc)2

(b) (a2 − b2 )(c2 − d2 ) = (ac − bd)2 − (ad + bc)2
(c) (a2 + b2 )(c2 − d2 ) = (ac − bd)2 + (ad + bc)2
(d) (a2 − b2 )(c2 + d2 ) = (ac + bd)2 − (ad − bc)2

10. Which of the following astronomical concepts did Brahmagupta work on?
(a) Heliocentric model
(b) Calculation of planetary longitudes
(c) Black holes
(d) Expanding universe
11. Brahmagupta’s method for solving quadratic equations is known as:
(a) Kuttaka
(b) Chakravala
(c) Virahanka
(d) Bhavana
12. Which of the following statements about Brahmagupta’s work on negative
numbers is true?

(a) He rejected the concept of negative numbers

(b) He provided rules for arithmetic with negative numbers
(c) He used negative numbers only in astronomy
(d) He considered negative numbers as imaginary

7
13. Brahmagupta improved upon whose work on linear equations?
(a) Aryabhata’s
(b) Bhaskaracharya’s
(c) Baudhayana’s
(d) Pythagoras’s
14. Which of the following best describes Brahmagupta’s contribution to lunar
theory?
(a) He proposed that the moon was made of cheese
(b) He calculated the moon’s distance from Earth
(c) He improved existing lunar models for better eclipse predictions
(d) He discovered the moon’s effect on tides
15. In which language did Brahmagupta write his mathematical and astro-
nomical works?
(a) Sanskrit verse
(b) Prakrit prose
(c) Pali verse
(d) Arabic prose

4 Bhaskaracharya (1114-1185 CE)

1. In which year was Bhaskaracharya born?
(a) 1110 CE
(b) 1112 CE
(c) 1114 CE
(d) 1116 CE
2. Where was Bhaskaracharya born?
(a) Ujjain
(b) Patna
(c) Vijjadavida (modern-day Bijapur)
(d) Kusumapura
3. At what age did Bhaskaracharya complete his masterpiece, the Siddhanta
Shiromani?
(a) 30
(b) 33

8
 (c) 36
(d) 39
4. Which of the following is NOT a work attributed to Bhaskaracharya?
(a) Lilavati
(b) Bijaganita
(c) Aryabhatiya
(d) Siddhanta Shiromani
5. What did Bhaskaracharya recognize about division by zero?
(a) It’s undefined
(b) It yields infinity
(c) It equals zero
(d) It’s impossible
6. Which mathematical concept did Bhaskaracharya conceive that was sim-
ilar to modern calculus?
(a) Integration
(b) Differentiation
(c) Limits
(d) Instantaneous motion (tatkalika gati)
7. For which value of n did Bhaskaracharya find the general solution to Pell’s
equation x² - ny² = 1?
(a) 31
(b) 41
(c) 51
(d) 61
8. What method did Bhaskaracharya develop for solving indeterminate quadratic
equations?
(a) Chakravala
(b) Sulba Sutra
(c) Pell’s method
(d) Quadratic formula
9. In which field did Bhaskaracharya develop many identities?
(a) Algebra
(b) Geometry

9
 (c) Trigonometry
(d) Calculus
10. What astronomical instrument did Bhaskaracharya design to determine
time and latitude?
(a) Astrolabe
(b) Armillary sphere
(c) Phalaka Yantra
(d) Quadrant
11. Which of Bhaskaracharya’s texts focuses primarily on algebra?
(a) Lilavati
(b) Bijaganita
(c) Siddhanta Shiromani
(d) Karana Kautuhala
12. What did Bhaskaracharya recognize about gravity in celestial bodies?
(a) It’s a repulsive force
(b) It’s an attractive force
(c) It doesn’t exist in space
(d) It’s only applicable to Earth
13. How many parts is Bhaskaracharya’s Siddhanta Shiromani divided into?
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
(d) Five
14. Which of these is NOT a topic covered in Siddhanta Shiromani?
(a) Arithmetic
(b) Algebra
(c) Mathematics of the planets
(d) Optics
15. In which year did Bhaskaracharya pass away?
(a) 1175 CE
(b) 1180 CE
(c) 1185 CE
(d) 1190 CE

10
 5 SOLUTION

Baudhayana
1. (b) Geometry
2. (c) Baudhayana Shulba Sutra
3. (c) Yajurveda
4. (b) Construction of fire altars
5. (a) Pythagorean theorem
1 1 1
6. (a) 1 + 3 + 3×4 − 3×4×34
7. (b) Uttar Pradesh
8. (a) Religious architecture
9. (b) Geometric constructions
10. (b) He predated famous Greek mathematicians in some discoveries
11. (c) Constructing ritual altars
12. (a) Sanskrit verse
13. (d) Planetary motions
14. (b) Religious requirements
15. (b) 800 BCE

Aryabhata
1. (a) Pataliputra (modern-day Patna)
2. (c) Aryabhatiya
3. (b) 23
4. (c) The Earth rotates on its axis
5. (b) 3.1416
6. (c) Trigonometric functions
7. (a) The moon enters Earth’s shadow
8. (c) 108:1
9. (d) Calculus
10. (a) 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.1 seconds
11. (b) Nalanda
12. (c) Arabic
13. (c) He accurately calculated the Earth’s circumference
14. (a) Kuttaka
15. (c) Armillary sphere

11
 Brahmagupta
1. (b) Bhinmal
2. (c) Brahmasphutasiddhanta
3. (b) 25
4. (a) Zero as a number
5. (c) A cyclic quadrilateral
6. (b) Quadratic equations
7. (c) Ujjain
8. (b) He provided rules for arithmetic operations with zero
9. (a) (a2 + b2 )(c2 + d2 ) = (ac + bd)2 + (ad − bc)2
10. (b) Calculation of planetary longitudes
11. (b) Chakravala
12. (b) He provided rules for arithmetic with negative numbers
13. (a) Aryabhata’s
14. (c) He improved existing lunar models for better eclipse predictions
15. (a) Sanskrit verse

Bhaskaracharya
1. (c) 1114 CE
2. (c) Vijjadavida (modern-day Bijapur)
3. (c) 36
4. (c) Aryabhatiya
5. (b) It yields infinity
6. (d) Instantaneous motion (tatkalika gati)
7. (c) 51
8. (a) Chakravala
9. (c) Trigonometry
10. (c) Phalaka Yantra
11. (b) Bijaganita
12. (b) It’s an attractive force
13. (b) Three
14. (d) Optics
15. (c) 1185 CE

12