Patterns, Recursions and Iterations in Saṃskṛta Poetry
Are poets and musicians applied mathematicians? Is there mathematics in music and poetry? What makes a particular rhythm rhythmic? These are questions that often arise during discussions of classical music and poetry. Some say that mathematics of patterns, beats and fractions come naturally to musicians while others argue that musicians do not care much about mathematics and it is intuition that helps them create melodious music. However, in the history of Classical Music and Saṃskṛta Prosody, we see stalwarts like Piṅgala, Hemacandra, Śārṅgadeva, who composed treatises on music with a strong emphasis on mathematics. This short course delves into the mathematical aspects of Saṃskṛta Prosody and explores the ideas proposed by Piṅgala (300 BCE) that remain relevant even today.