Bhaskaracharya

Lilavati

1. IDEA 1

   A mathematics book in verse

   Lilavati is a book of arithmetic and geometry written by Bhaskaracharya, also called Bhaskara II, in the twelfth century. It forms part of his larger work on astronomy and mathematics, and it was used to teach mathematics in India for centuries.

2. IDEA 2

   A legend explains its name

   According to a popular legend, Bhaskara named the book after his daughter Lilavati. Her wedding hour was missed when a pearl fell into a water clock, and he wrote the book to console her, though historians treat the story as legend.

3. IDEA 3

   Problems are set as poems

   Many problems in the book are written as charming verses, often addressed to a young girl. They involve bees, flowers, peacocks and pearls, making mathematics feel playful and memorable. Puzzles invite the reader to solve them.

All 8 ideas from Lilavati →