Question

The Lilavati was a treatise on _________?
A Arithmetic
B Astronomy
C Philosophy
D Medicine

Answer 1

Hint: Lilavati means playful , amusing and cheerful in Sanskrit . The 12 th century Mathematician Bhaskaracarya named it after one of his daughters Lilavati .

Complete answer: In 1150 A. D . Bhaskaracharya, a famous mathematician and astronomer composed Lilavati as the first part of his larger composition Siddhanta Siromani which is a comprehensive collection of arithmetic , algebra , geometry and menstruation related topics . His book on arithmetic was very interesting and playful and was written for his daughter Lilavati who herself was a very intelligent woman . Bhaskara studied Lilavati’s horoscope and predicted that she would remain childless and unmarried . After an unsuccessful attempt at the wedding , he promised his daughter to write a book in her name that would remain till the end of time .
The book has thirteen chapters , mainly arithmetic , interest , arithmetical and geographical progressions , plane and solid geometry . The book also includes a number of methods like multiplications , squares and progressions . He used examples using elephants and kings which a common man could easily understand . Arithmetic is presented as an enjoyable playful activity . The book is easy to read and the readers enjoyed the book . Lilavati has been used as a standard book for 800 years . Bhaskaracarya never give any derivations of his formulae . Professor Phadke ( 1902-1973) worked hard to give derivations of the formulae produced by Bhaskaracarya .The present book is the enlargement of his Marathi book and has thorough mathematical expressions and formulae .

Thus, The correct answer is Option A.

Note: The book is useful for school going children , teachers , scholars , historians and for people who are working for the cause of mathematics