Indian Mathematical Tradition

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Mathematics developed as a support system for religious rituals

Sqrt 2 was needed to double the area of any square
 * 1) Geometry – for construction of vedic altars to given specifications
 * 2) Chandas Shastra – rules of prosody for ensuring that pronunciation of the hymns is perfect. This is one reason the hymns are recited today, even after 3000 years without much alternations
 * 3) Grammar – Sanskrit grammar is one of the most structured in the world. It makes it easy to coin compound words to describe any idea
 * 4) Music – the chanting was also set to elementary musical ideas so that memorizing them becomes easy.
 * 5) Development of huge numbers required by mythology. Place value system.

Sqrt n was needed to organize given &ldquo;n&rdquo; squares into a larger square

Methods which indicate an understanding of Pythagoras Theorem.

Methods which indicate an understanding of Pi

Proofs were never given. The tradition was oral and writing materials were scarce and impermanent. Hence much of the logic was expected to be worked out by students. This necessarily meant that such learning was restricted to more intelligent students.

But was the lack of documentation also a reason why this tradition did not spread deep &amp; wide?

What are the reasons for such a decline of math education in India?

Why is such a legacy of our ancestors does not find a place either in math textbooks or history textbooks?

< 32.12 Factorials | Topic Index | 33.1 Dyscalculia >