2008 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2008 · General Studies
Question 46: History and Culture
What does Baudhayana theorem (Baudhayana Sulva Sutra) relate to?
aLengths of sides of a right-angled triangle
bCalculation of the value of pi
cLogarithmic calculations
dNormal distribution curve
AnswerThe answer is (a).
The Baudhayana Sulba Sutra, among the earliest Indian texts on geometry, states what is now called the Pythagorean theorem: the diagonal of a rectangle produces an area equal to the sum of the areas on its two sides. It therefore relates the lengths of the sides of a right-angled triangle. It was composed to guide the construction of Vedic altars, in the first millennium BCE.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) The theorem relates the sides of a right-angled triangle.
- (b) The theorem named for Baudhayana is not a calculation of pi.
- (c) Logarithms were developed much later and are unrelated.
- (d) The normal distribution curve is a modern statistical idea.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2008, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.