yuga

Hinduism mentions the 4 yugas (stages of the universe) in the following order:Satyug, Dwaparyug, Tretayug and Kaliyug, the amount of virtue decreases with each (or the amount of sin increases).Note: Dwaparyug & Tretayug order may be incorrect, so assume the correct order as you feel it should be. Now, for the sake of analysis, I will name themyug(1), yug(2), yug(3) and yug(4) each - having the following relation:yug(1) has virtue = 100% or 1 (as a datum, it could be any number)yug(2) has half the virtue of yug(1)yug(3) has half the virtue of yug(2) [1/4th of yug(1)]yug(4) has half the virtue of yug(3) [1/4th of yug(2) or 1/8th of yug(1)]
Expressed mathematically,virtue in yug(n) = 1/2^(n-1), where n > 0thus,n = 1, virtue in yug(1) = 1n = 2, virtue in yug(2) = 1/2n = 3, virtue in yug(3) = 1/4n = 4, virtue in yug(4) = 1/8
The above is what is called a "geometric series" - maths experts please correct me if I am wrong and give it the correct name.
Now, virtue can, in a sense also be an indicator of "order" in the universe - so looking at the above, we can say that order is decreasing geometrically from yug(1) to yug(4), conversly disorder is increasing.
As per modern physics, any system if left to itself exhibits "entropy", the amount of disorder - and it always increases with time. Low entropy = less disorder or more order and vice versa. Consider this (taken from Stephen Hawkings' book A brief histors of time): we have a box partitioned into 2 halves by a removable partition. The first half has oxygen gas and the second has nitrogen gas. This is an "ordered" state (or non-uniform/non-homogeneous state) and represents lowest entropy or disorder. What will happen if the partition is removed? Obviously the gases will mix and with time the contents of the box will be more and more homogeneous (or uniform) - the entropy increases with time - and will, IMHO follow the same geometric sequence as above (maths experts, again correct me if wrong). Correlating this with the yugas, it seems that more than religion or anything, it was the erstwhile Hindu scholars' way of describing the same thing that we call "ENTROPY" today - they were describing the nature of universe - how it always converges towards disorder with time - it takes effort (energy) to counter entropy. Of course the concept of Gods, sin & the other stuff might have been added in to stop people to counter the disorder (the effort/energy is this concept of God etc., I mentioned earlier) in their society - but the truth stays - it is the nature of *any* system in the universe to always have increasing entropy (unless energy is added to it to counter entropy) - be it a home (cracks, and you need repainting - energy/effort), animal (birth - youth - old age - death - back to earth, medicines - effort/energy), anything at all!!