“Reaching out to Infinity: The Mathematical Imaginary of Medieval Keralam"

Abstract

One important intellectual circle which disintegrated and died out after the European invasion of India was the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics. The significance of Kerala mathematics lies in its rare continuity. According to available information it stretched from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century C. E. The major proponents of the School hailed from Irinjilakuda, Ponnani, Alathoor, Thrikkandiyoor, Vanniyoor and Sukapuram. The generous patronage of the rulers of these regions who promoted studies of advanced nature not only in Sanskrit and literature but also in astrology, and astronomy led to an explosion of knowledge in mathematics. The invention of Calculus and the Infinite series were important milestones in the journey towards the rise of modern mathematics. The  present paper examines the advances in the study of mathematics, from finite concepts and ideas to the infinite in Kerala, now widely known as the Kerala School of Mathematics.