#Lilavati_Mathematics

1. Problem of a broken Bamboo:-

ವಂಶಾಗ್ರ ಮೂಲಾಂತರ-ಭೂಮಿವರ್ಗೋ | ವಂಶಗದ್ಧ ೃತಸ್ತ ಗನ ಪೃಥಗ್ಯು ತಗನೌ |

ವಂಶಗ ತದ್ರ್ಧೋ ಭವತಃ ಕ್ರ ಮೇಣ | ವಂಶಸ್ು ಖಣ್ಡ ಗ ಶ್ರರ ತಿಕಗಟಿರೂಪೇ || ೧೪೪ ||

वं शाग्रमूलां तर-भू ममवर्गो । वं शोद् धृ तस्ते न पृथग्यु तोनौ ।

वं शो तदधे भवतः क्रमेण । वं शस्य खण्डे श्रुमतकोमिरूपे ॥ १४४ ॥

vaMSAgramUlAMtara-BUmivargo | vaMSoddhRutastena pRuthagyutonau |

vaMSo tadardhe BavataH krameNa | vaMSasya KaNDe SrutikoTirUpe || 144 ||

vaMSAgramUlAMtara BumivargO = Distance (‘b’) of tip of (broken) Bamboo from its root on ground,
being squared,

vaMSOddhRutEH = and divided by Bamboo (height ‘x’),

pRuthak = and separately

yutOnautEna = being added to and subtracted from it

tadardhE = and halved

BavataH = become

KaNDE = two segments (of the Bamboo)

Sruti = hypotenuse (the broken part ‘h’)

kOTirUpE = and the altitude ‘a’.

Solution:- The part from the root to the place where it is broken is the altitude ‘a’. The remaining
part of the Bamboo is the hypotenuese ‘h’. Hence the full Bamboo height ‘x’ from top to bottom is
given by

x = a + h …. (1)

The distance between the root and the tip of the Bamboo is side ‘b’ given by

b = sqrt(h^2 – a^2),

Therefore, b^2 = (h-a)(h+a) = (h-a) * x

b^2 / x = (h-a) …. (2)

From (1) & (2), h = (x + b^2/x)/2 & a = (x – b^2/x)/2 …. (3)

Similarly by symmetry, h = (x + a^2/x)/2 & b = (x – a^2/x)/2 …. (4)

Example:-

ಯದಿ ಸ್ಮಭುವಿ ವೇಣುದಿವ ೋತಿರ ಪಾಣಿಪ್ರ ಮಾಣಗ |

ಗ್ಣಕ್ ಪ್ವನವೇಗಾದೇಕ್ದೇಶೇ ಸ್ ಭಗ್ನ ಃ ||
ಭುವಿ ನೃಪ್ಮಿತಹಸ್ತ ಗ ವು ಾಂಗ್ ಲಗ್ನ ಾಂ ತದ್ಗ್ರ ಮ್ |
ಕ್ಥಯ ಕ್ತಿಷು ಮೂಲದಗಷ ಭಗ್ನ ಃ ಕ್ರೇಷು || ೧೪೫ ||

यमद समभु मव वेणुमवि मिपामणप्रमाणो ।

र्गणक पवनवेर्गादे कदे शे स भग्नः ॥
भु मव नृपममतहस्ते व्यं र्ग लग्नं तदग्रम् ।
कथय कमतषु मू लदोष भग्नः करे षु ॥ १४५ ॥

yadi samaBuvi vENurdvitripANipramANO |

gaNaka pavanavEgAdEkadESE sa BagnaH ||
Buvi nRupamitahastE vyaMga lagnaM tadagram |
kathaya katiShu mUladOSha BagnaH karEShu || 145 ||

aMga = well

hE gaNaka = oh mathematician

yadi vENuH = if a Bamboo

dvitripANi pramANaH = 32 cubits long

BagnaH = broke

EkadESE = at one place

pavanavEgAt = due to the speed of the wind

tadagraM = and its tip

lagnaM = touched

samaBuvi = the plane ground

nRupamitahastEShu = 16 cubits away from the root

kathaya = tell me

katiShu = how many

mUlAt = away from the root

ESha BagnaH = it (Bamboo) broke

Solution:- Given base DB = b = 16, DE = Bamboo = x = a + h = 32, to find the altitude ‘a’ say, we have
therefore from the previous shloka,

a = (x – b^2/x)/2 = (32 – 16^2/32)/2 = 12

- Hemanth Kumar G