Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have published a groundbreaking study in the Journal of Archaeological Science analyzing the mathematical foundations of the 11th-century text Sangita Ratnakara. The research utilizes advanced computational modeling to demonstrate that ancient musicologists employed sophisticated logarithmic scaling principles to define the specific frequency ratios of shrutis (micro-tones).
The study suggests that medieval Sanskrit scholars had developed a mathematical framework for psychoacoustics that predates Western discoveries of logarithmic perception by several centuries. By analyzing the geometric progression of string lengths described in the manuscript, the team identified a precise recursive algorithm used to calculate intervals that align with modern equal temperament scales.