To Goanet - Frederick [FN] Noronha wrote: >Vedic maths a "sham"? >It might just be another >way of doing things, inadequately recognised >by (mostly) Western-shaped science and maths.
There is no mathematics in the Vedas. Therefore, "Vedic Mathematics" is neither Vedic nor is it strictly Mathematics (well, if you want to quibble and say that arithmetic is part of mathematics, I won't argue). What is peddled under that label is mostly a set of clever methods for doing number calculations quickly. This false aura about Vedic Mathematics actually doesmore harm than good to the popular imagination. Because it trivializes the significant fundamental contributions of the ancient Hindus to mathematics and mathematical thought. The West has been slow to acknowledge these contributions but in the past decade or two, there has been a lot of progress on that front. For perhaps the finest introduction to the Hindu (and other non-Western) contributions to mathematics read George Gheverghese's "The Crest of the Peacock" - http://www.amazon.com/Crest-Peacock-George-Gheverghese-Joseph/dp/0691006598 Warm regards, r
