Citrabhānu's Twenty-One Algebraic Problems in Malayalam and Sanskrit

Abstract

This paper studies the Sanskrit and Malayalam versions of Citrabhānu's Twenty-One problems: a discussion of quadratic and cubic problems from 16 th -century Kerala. It reviews the differences in the approaches of the two versions, highlighting the distinction between the Sanskrit indeterminate integer-remainder arithmetical techniques and the Malayali fixed point iterations. The paper concludes with some speculations on the possible transmission of algebraic knowledge between Kerala and the west.