Decoding the Symbols: Then vs. Now

Last updated at July 27, 2026 by

Decoding the Symbols: Then vs. Now [Class 7 Ganita Prakash Part 2] - A Pinch of History

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Decoding the Symbols: Then vs. NowIn Grade 6, we use letters like x or y. But ancient Indian mathematicians used colors! They used the first letters of colors like black (kālaka) or blue (nīlaka). For the unknown "x", they often used yā (short for yāvat-tāvat, meaning "as much as needed"). Modern Notation Ancient Indian Notation yā 2 rū 1 (in each term the indication of unknown/known came first) (a dot over the number indicated that it was negative) yā 3 rū 4 yā 2 rū 8 (the two sides of an equation were presented one below the other)

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