A team of mathematicians at the Indian Journal of History of Science has completed a rigorous computational review of the 12th-century Ganita-Ratna, a rare Sanskrit mathematical text. The study reveals that the manuscript contains sophisticated iterative algorithms for solving Diophantine equations of the second degree, utilizing a method similar to the modern continued fraction expansion.
The research demonstrates that these algorithms were designed to solve complex problems in civil engineering and land surveying, particularly for calculating the precise dimensions of parabolic arched structures. The study highlights the use of a recursive "feedback loop" logic within the Sanskrit verses, which allowed medieval mathematicians to achieve results that were accurate to eight decimal places, far exceeding the requirements of contemporary architecture.