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Vol. XVIII, No. 3
higher roots.
(10) Vikalpa-permutations and combinations.
Srinivas Ienger also describes how Anuyogadvāra Sutra and What is Uttaradhyana Sutra enumerate powers and roots of numbers. described by him implies that performed on the number they describe the calculations of
a2 a4 a8.
a1/2 a1/4 a1/8
as well as their squares. Cubes, squares of squares, sqnares of cubes cubes of cubes and so on as well as products of any pair.
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Rajju or Rajjuganita is calculations with the cord: it stands for geometrical calculations. It is different from kṣetraganita in that it is not confined only to figures that are closed: study of any geometrical figure that lends itself to rope constructions and calculations is included in Rajju. In most Indian mathematical works geometry is designated as kṣetragaṇita. Kṣetra means a closed figure, whether it be a field or figure drawn on the calculating board. These are the kind of figures that are required in the construction of sacrificial altars.
Neither kṣetraganita nor rajjuganita include calculations with volumes. Rāsīgaṇita is calculations connected with heaps (of grains) or bricks or whatever). The mensuration formulate required with such heap calculations, are usually approximations. In later Indian mathematics khatavyavahāra is a topic dealing with excavations and their exact mensuration formulae are required.
We do not have much extant literature of the times to both under stand what was intended by the composers of the verse and what the readers understood by the verse.. As a result we tend to fill in the figure and in doing so inject our present knowledge as well as present rationale of the meaning and content of the topics. Conditional and tentative though such understandings are I try to summarise.
We now, have some understanding of the ten topics that has been enunciated in the Sthānanga Sutra. The different interpretations help us to consider the content of the progromme. For doing this we
group the topics and look at each group.
Topics 1, 5, 7, 8 and 9 together include fundamental operations on numbers and fractions. They from the basic knowledge on which any study of the science of calculation is built.
Topics 2, 3 and 4 cover applications of arithmetic to practical problems. They cover the needs of the users. Vyavahāra seems to have the connotation of needs of daily living, though some
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