The Archive · Before It Was Possible

History kept two clocks.

E-books and puzzle workbooks on the history of Indian mathematics, from Ronny of the YouTube channel Before It Was Possible. Pay online, and the book arrives in your email straight away.

In the chart below, each gold line is one discovery. It joins the year the discovery is on record in India (top) to the year the West was credited with it (bottom).

See the books and prices ↓ Reserve Volume II
The figurePāṇini
The discoveryFormal generative grammar
India · the Westc. 500 BCE · 1950s
Gap~2,400 yrs
Tap or point at any gold line to see its story. These dates come from the "Two Clocks" table in The Lost Lineage.
The books · second editions

Four books,
and a fifth on the way.

Every book is a PDF e-book, not a printed book. It's emailed to you the moment you pay, and you can read it on your phone or computer, or print it at home.

The Lost Lineage cover
History · 64 pages₹399
 Lilavati cover
Puzzles · 26 pages₹149
 Magic Squares cover
Puzzles · 15 pages₹149
 Pingala's Puzzles cover
Puzzles · 22 pages₹249
 The Lost Lineage Volume II cover
Coming · reserve₹699
★ Best value · save ₹247
The Complete Archive

The entire shelf, and your name in the next book.

  • All four e-books now, with every bonus print — The Lost Lineage, Lilavati, Magic Squares and Piṅgala (127 pages)
  • Your name printed in Volume II — you're a Founding Archivist
  • The Volume II e-book, emailed to you when it's finished
+ all 6 bonus prints
₹999₹1,246₹1,246 if bought separately · one-time payment
The Lost Lineage cover
लुप्त परम्परा

The Lost Lineage.

The Archive Editions · No. I · 800 BCE → 1600 CE

Baudhāyana to Jyeṣṭhadeva: twenty-two minds and a chain of mathematics history filed under other names, mapped end to end with the primary sources cited.

PDF e-book39-page book + 3 bonus printsInstant download
  • 22 illustrated files, one for each mathematician
  • The "Two Clocks" table: all 22 discoveries with both dates
  • A closing essay, a glossary, the maths worked step by step, and sources
Free with this book3 bonus prints
The ReaderThe complete e-book, yours to keep
₹399
Also reserves Volume II
Founding ArchivistThis e-book now, plus your name printed in Volume II and the Volume II e-book when it's finished
₹699
Lilavati cover
लीलावती

Lilavati.

Problem Papers · No. I · Bhāskara II, c. 1150

India's maths textbook of 1150, written as poetry. Eighteen riddles about bees, pearls, broken bamboo and arrows. Each one gives you the verse, a plain-English version, a hint and space to work it out.

PDF workbook24 pages + bonus posterAnswers at the back
Free with this book1 bonus poster
Try the first riddle, free
A fifth of a swarm of bees settled on a kadamba blossom, a third on a silindhri flower. Three times their difference flew to a kutaja. One bee remained, hovering in the air. Tell me, charming one: how many bees?
₹14918 riddles, every answer worked in full
Magic Squares cover
भद्रगणित

Magic Squares.

Problem Papers · No. II · 587 CE → Khajuraho

The sudoku of the ancient world, from Varāhamihira's perfume recipes to squares carved into temple walls. Twelve puzzles, from easy 3×3 warm-ups to 4×4 temple squares, plus how to make a magic square from your own birthday.

PDF workbook15 pagesAnswers at the back
The Chautīsa Yantra · Khajuraho

Tap any number. Its row and column always add up to the same total.

₹14912 puzzles, each with one answer
Pingala's Puzzles cover
मेरुप्रस्तार

Piṅgala’s Puzzles.

The Archive · File 002 · c. 300 BCE

A poet counting the rhythms of Sanskrit verse ended up with binary numbers and the triangle Europe would later name after Pascal. The story, then four sets of puzzles that let you rediscover it yourself, using nothing harder than doubling and halving.

PDF workbook11 pages + 2 bonus printsAnswers worked in full
Free with this book2 bonus prints
The Mountain of Jewels · tap a row
Each row counts the verse rhythms of a given length, split by how many short syllables they contain.
₹249Workbook, wall chart and practice pad

All three puzzle workbooks

Lilavati, Magic Squares and Piṅgala together, with their bonus prints (63 pages). ₹547 if bought separately.

₹399₹547
How buying works

Three simple steps.

1

Tap "Buy now"

A secure payment page opens, run by Instamojo, an Indian payment service. Enter your name, email and phone number.

2

Pay your way

Use UPI (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm), a debit or credit card, or netbanking. I never see your bank or card details.

3

Check your email

Your download link arrives within a minute or two. Tap it to open the PDF on your phone, or save it to your computer.

Can't find the email? Look in your Spam or Promotions folder. Still nothing after an hour? Write to hello@withronny.com and I'll send it to you myself.

The Lost Lineage Volume II cover
The Archive Editions · No. II · now forming
लुप्त परम्परा · द्वितीय खण्ड

Two hundred names
write Volume II.

Volume One is finished. Volume Two will be a full-length book, and writing it properly on my own will take more than two months. I'll only start if enough of you want it, so I'm asking first.

What you get for ₹699: The Lost Lineage e-book and its bonus prints straight away, your name printed in the front of Volume II, and the Volume II e-book emailed to you when it's finished. I'll send progress updates by email while I write.

0 of 200 names reserved
200 in 14 daysand I start writing
Your nameprinted in the front of the book
Full refundof your ₹699 if we don't reach 200, and you keep Volume One
Why this shop exists

No ads. No sponsor. Just you.

I never received a single payout from the old channel. The ad money is frozen, and I nearly walked away from the whole thing. Then I kept getting your messages, and I realised the work was never about the ads.

So this is the honest version. Everything I've researched is here, rebuilt properly as second editions: every date checked at its most defensible, every solution worked in full, every file read by real people before it ships. When you buy something here, the money goes straight into the next investigation. That's the entire business model.

— RonnyBefore it was possible
Questions

Before you buy.

Is this a printed book?

No. Every book here is a PDF e-book, a digital file. You can read it on a phone, tablet or computer, and print it at home or at any print shop as many times as you like.

How do I get my book after paying?

A download link is emailed to you within a minute or two. Tap it and the book opens. Keep that email, because you can use the link again later. If you can't find it, check your Spam or Promotions folder, or write to hello@withronny.com.

How can I pay? Is it safe?

Payment goes through Instamojo, a secure Indian payment service. You can use UPI (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM), a debit or credit card, or netbanking. I never see your card or bank details.

Do I need special software to open it?

No. Any phone or computer can open a PDF. On a phone it opens in your browser or files app. On a computer it opens in any web browser.

How does the Volume II reservation work?

For ₹699 you get The Lost Lineage e-book straight away, and you reserve your name in Volume II. If 200 people reserve within 14 days, I start writing, and you'll get the Volume II e-book by email when it's finished. It will take more than two months, and I'll send updates along the way. If we don't reach 200, you get your full ₹699 back within 24 hours, and you keep The Lost Lineage.

What if I bought The Complete Archive and Volume II doesn't happen?

You keep all four e-books, and I refund the Volume II part of your payment (₹300).

I already bought one book. Can I upgrade to the Complete Archive?

Yes. Email hello@withronny.com and I'll send you a link to pay only the difference.

I'm outside India. Can I buy?

Yes. International cards work at checkout, and the price is converted to your currency automatically.

Something went wrong with my order.

Email hello@withronny.com with your name and the email you paid with. I'll fix it, resend the book or refund you, whichever you prefer.