What does the Baudhayan theorem (Baudhayana Sulva Sutras) relate to?

Answer: (a) Lengths of sides of a right-angled triangle

The Baudhayana theorem in the Sulbasutras is the statement of what is now called the Pythagoras theorem, relating the sides of a right-angled triangle.

• ✓ (a) The Sulbasutras state the Pythagorean relation and use it in constructing altars.
• ✗ (b) The Sulbasutras give approximations of pi, but the named 'theorem' is the right-triangle rule.
• ✗ (c) Logarithms are a much later development.
• ✗ (d) The normal curve is modern statistics.

Remember · Baudhayana Sulbasutra (c. 800 BCE): Pythagoras theorem for altar geometry.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 6 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 6 (practise this chapter)

Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2008, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2008: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). · Report an error