________________
On Application of the Law of Combination
in Early Jaina Philosophy
SAJJAN SINGH LISHK
Mathematically according to the law of combination, n things taken
r at a time can be arranged in C ways. Symbolically, we can writel
C=
where I n is read as n factorial and
n .
=n | n-1 =n(n-1) | 0-2 and so on, In = n(n-1) (n-2)...... ......3.2.1.
This law has been widely used in different contexts of Jaina philosophy. Firstly let us consider the case of Saptabhangi i.e. the doctrine of seven-fold prediction. A real is characterized by three characteristics viz. being, non-being and inexpressibility. Now the total number of combinations of these three characteristics taking one, two or three at a time can be easily computed as follows:
3
13
C
=
=
3
1 1 1 1 3-1 3 1 3 C = - 2 | 2 | 3-2
CE
3 1 3 33 | 3-3
=l
(: 10 = 1)
1 See Chapter on Permutation and Combination in any pre-University book on Algebra
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