Question

State the following statement is true or false.
Bhaskaracharya wrote ‘Lilavati’ which contains description of arithmetic area, cube root, interest etc.
A. True
B. False

Answer 1

Hint: We find the statement in the question is true or false by writing down the concepts mentioned in the Bhaskaracharya’s Lilavati and checking if it contains the mentioned topics.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Bhaskaracharya also known as Bhaskara II wrote the book ‘Lilavati’ for his daughter Lilavati. Bhaskaracharya was a distinguished mathematician and an astronomer of Ancient India. ‘Lilavati’ is the first volume of his principal work ‘The Siddhanta Shiromani ’. It consists of three chapters mainly giving definitions, arithmetic terms and interest computation. Many of the problems in the book are addressed to Lilavati herself, like “Fawn-eyed child Lilavati, tell me how much is the number 135 multiplied by 12, if you understand multiplication by separate parts and by separating digits. And tell, beautiful one, how much is that product divided by the same multiplier?” .
The ‘Lilavati’ consists of 277 verses of rules and examples based on following topics
1) Basic operations of arithmetic (square root, cube root, fractions)
2) Rule of three, five etc
3) Barter system
4) Permutations and combinations
5) Arithmetic and Geometric progression and series
6) Solution to intermediate equations
7) Geometric operations
Bhaskara’s Lilavati comprises most of the techniques used in our day to day life. It was in use all over India for 700 years until the British system of education was introduced.
So the answer to the statement in the question is TRUE, because yes the Lilavati contains description of arithmetic area, cube root, interest etc.

So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Additional Information: Bhaskaracharya’s Siddhanta Shiromani was divided into four parts: Lilavati, Bijaganita, Grahaganita and Goladhyaya which are considered as four different independent works.

Note: Students can many times get confused with Bhaskara I and Bhaskara II works, as they are completely different mathematicians of two different centuries. So, to avoid confusion we use another name of Bhaskara II as Bhaskaracharya in our answer.