Correct Option (A):
The Baudhayan Sulva Sutras, an ancient Indian text on geometry dating to approximately 800 BCE, describe a fundamental geometric principle concerning the sides of a right-angled triangle. This principle is equivalent to what is widely known as the Pythagorean Theorem. It states that the square of the diagonal (hypotenuse) of a rectangle is equal to the sum of the squares of its two sides. The Sutras provided practical applications for constructing Vedic altars with precise geometric proportions, illustrating this theorem through examples such as numerical triplets (e.g., 3, 4, 5). This demonstrates advanced mathematical knowledge in ancient India, predating the Greek mathematician Pythagoras.
Incorrect Options:
Option 2: Calculation of the value of pi. While ancient Indian mathematicians like Aryabhata made significant contributions to approximating the value of pi (π), this specific work is not associated with the Baudhayan Sulva Sutras.
Option 3: Logarithmic calculations. The concept of logarithms was developed much later, primarily in the 16th and 17th centuries by mathematicians such as John Napier. It was not part of the mathematical knowledge during the Vedic period when the Sulva Sutras were composed.
Option 4: Normal distribution curve. The normal distribution curve is a concept from modern statistics, formalized in the 18th and 19th centuries by mathematicians like Carl Friedrich Gauss. It bears no relation to ancient Indian geometry or the Baudhayan Sulva Sutras.