MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE RITUAL OF ANCIENT INDIA

[Ann Labier]

DR. TOKE KNUDSEN

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, HAWKINS 232, 3:30PM - 4:30PM (All are welcome)

Abstract:

The earliest systematic textual presentation of mathematical knowledge in
India Appears within the context of ritual practices. Known as the rules of
the cord – a reference to the fact that cords are used for the practical
constructions – the
texts give the mathematical rules necessary for measuring out and
constructing the arenas and altars used in ancient Indian rituals in the
period 800 to 200 BCE. A major portion of these rules is devoted to plane
geometry. The rules are by no means trivial as they include fundamental
elements of geometry: the Pythagorean theorem, the construction of
geometrical figures, the combination of geometrical figures, and the
transformation of geometrical figures, such as the quadrature of the circle
and the circulature of the square. They also contain an excellent
approximation to the square root of 2. In addition to results from
geometry, the rules of the cord also provide directions for covering
various altars with bricks according to certain rules laid down by the
ritual texts. The talk will explain and demonstrate some of the
mathematical rules, and will also discuss the social context of the rituals
and their execution.
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