Bakshali Manuscript

Book Details
• Author: G. R. Kay
• Volumes: Set in 2 Volumes in 3 Parts
• Pages: 238 pp; 96 plates
• Year of Publishing: 1981
• Binding: Hard Bound
• Publisher: COSMO PUBLICATIONS
• ISBN: 8170203746
• Language: English

Description
• In 1881, a significant mathematical manuscript was discovered in Bakhshali, a village near the ancient site of Taxila, situated on the northwestern borders of undivided India.
• The manuscript, written on birch-bark in the Sarada script (still used in Kashmir), is a key artifact for understanding the mathematical advancements of ancient India. Dr. Hoernle, the renowned oriental scholar, hailed it as a major discovery that discusses arithmetic, including mensuration, with significant attention given to algebra and geometry.
• The work, though arithmetical in form, goes beyond a simple arithmetic textbook, using generalized solutions that imply algebraic concepts, despite not employing algebraic symbolism. The manuscript is divided into algebraic, arithmetical, and geometrical sections.
• The first volume is split into two parts:

• Part I covers the history of the manuscript, its description, contents, analysis of the mathematical aspects, and the manuscript's age and sources.

• Part II includes the script, transliteration of the text, facsimiles, and plates, along with a comprehensive index.
  • Part III, issued separately, focuses solely on the language of the manuscript.
  • This reprint is a valuable resource for Indologists, historians, archaeologists, and students of mathematics and astronomy, offering deep insights into early Hindu mathematics and the influence of Gandhara culture on scientific knowledge.