Question

Who is the author of "Siddhanta Shiromani"?
A) Aryabhatta
B) Varahamihira
C) Bhaskaracharya II
D) Eratosthenes

Answer 1

Hint: The author is known as one of the “greatest mathematicians of medieval India'' and is mostly remembered for this 1150 A.D. masterpiece, Siddhanta Shiromani (Crown of Treatises). He wrote this 1450-verse when he was 36 years old.

Complete answer:
Siddhanta Shiromani, was written by Bhaskaracharya II, who is known as one of the “greatest mathematicians of medieval India.” While he wrote many books, but is mostly remembered for this 1150 A.D. masterpiece, Siddhanta Shiromani (Crown of Treatises). He wrote this 1450-verse time when he was 36 years old.

The book comprises 4 parts, namely Lilavati, Bijaganita, Grahaganita and Goladhyay, often referred to as separate books themselves. Each part is concentrated on a separate field of astronomy and mathematics.

I) The Lilavati: Named after his daughter Lilavati, it comprises thirteen chapters on several mathematical topics, including mensuration and trigonometry. At its core, the book is mainly about indeterminate equations and obtaining integer solutions for them.
II) The Bijaganita: It comprises 12 chapters and is all about algebra, including the first written information of the positive and negative square roots of numbers.
III) The Grahaganita: It also comprises 12 chapters and deals with mathematical astronomy. Derived from concepts initially visualised by Aryabhata, Bhaskara uses his third publication to explain the heliocentric view of the solar system and the elliptical orbits of planets, based on the law of gravity of Brahmagupta.
IV) The Goladhyay: This final, 13 chapter publication is mainly about spherical geometry.

Thus, the correct answer is Option C. Bhaskaracharya II.

Note: Bhaskara also made developments in other areas of math and astronomy, including (but not limited to) his work on what is now known as Rolle’s Theorem. Specifically, Bhaskara found that the distance between the real and predicted locations of a planet becomes zero when the planet is at its farthest, or nearest, point to Earth.