An Indian Square Root Algorithm
- Author:
- Susan Addington
This algorithm is described in the History of Mathematics website Mathematical Intentions, http://www.quadrivium.info/MathInt/MathIntentions.html
Think of a number N as the area of a square. The square root of N is the length of a side of the square.
This method starts with a square with area bigger than N, and slices off two strips of equal width at each step, creating a smaller square. The object is to make a square with area N.
To use the applet, type the area N and your first guess in the shaded fields. Choose a guess bigger than the correct answer. Then the applet will show six steps. Depending on the first guess, the process often takes only a few steps to get very close to the exact square root value.
How is this algorithm related to the Babylonian Square Root Algorithm?