Ancient Indian Mathematician - Baudhayana and The Value of √2

Abstract

Baudhayana was an ancient Indian mathematician and the author of Shulba Sutra and Shrauta Sutra. These Sutras were composed in the 8th-7th century BC, Baudhayana's Shulba Sutras contain theorems of early mathematics and geometry, including, the Pi value,  the square root of 2, and a statement of the Pythagorean theorem. One of his notable achievements of Baudhayana was the estimation of the square root of 2. According to his method,  one can find, approximate value of the square root of 2 with remarkable accuracy. Baudhayana’s approach demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of numerical approximations and shows that ancient Indian mathematicians had  advanced techniques for solving complex mathematical problems.