In Jainism there isn’t a real “mathematics” or exact formula for punya (merit) and paap (demerit). Karma is a subtle, dynamic process, not a numeric equation. But there are clear ideas that tell us how punya and paap work and how they grow or fade.

Key points to understand

• Karma is like subtle particles that attach to the jiva (the self) due to our actions, thoughts, and intentions. These karmic particles then ripen as experiences in this or future lives.
• Punya and paap are the qualitative outcomes of those karmas. Punya gives pleasant, auspicious experiences; paap brings suffering or obstacles.
• The same action can produce different results depending on factors such as intention, motive, and the level of self-control or restraint involved.
• The ripening of karma is also influenced by time and the conditions of the present life. So while you can influence future results through present actions, there isn’t a fixed numeric value attached to each act.

Important nuances

• Intention matters: a violent act done with fear or coercion can have a different karmic weight than the same act done with strong malicious intent.
• Degree and duration: more intense or longer-lasting thoughts and actions tend to bind more karmic particles and create stronger results.
• Exhaustion and shedding: through right conduct (like non-violence, truth, restraint, and austerities), one can gradually burn or shed accumulated karma, reducing future punya/paap (and their fruits).
• Context matters: karmic outcomes depend on the whole pattern of behavior over many lives, not on one isolated incident.

Tradition-specific notes

• Both Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions agree on the basic idea that karma binds the self and that wholesome conduct reduces future suffering while unwholesome conduct increases it. They may differ in details about how karmas are categorized or described in certain scriptures, but the overarching concept remains the same.

If you’d like, I can point you to Jain scriptures or explanations that describe karma with traditional terms (like the categories of karmas and how they fructify) in a simple way.