A name most known amongst Indian Mathematicians. Long after school, one day as i was getting my drop to my workplace in a Times of India article by R. Madhavan; I learnt about a book on this Indian Mathematical Genius. 'The Man Who Knew Infinity - by Robert Kanigel'.
On learning about this book, I tried ordering this book from an online vendor and it got cancelled, due to non availability. All of a sudden i get the book from the same vendor a few days later. The book with a photograph of Ramanujan, on the stamp issued by India after his death.
Ramanujan's Early Days:
Ramanujan starts his life in a struggling India, under British Raj. A young Ramanujan then fascinated by Mathematics starts disliking other subjects and continues concentrating only on Mathematics. The hardships of a young Ramanujan with a slate and his dark elbow; due to constant erasing of wrong trials; shows the state of our nation at the time.
Ramanujan used to write only the right results in the papers; as funding for papers were tough. This shows the dedication of a man willed to do his work amongst all odds.
The early days as a Brahmin boy increases his spiritual stretch of mind. His belief in the Goddess of Namakal and the upbringing is a story to read. The commuting difficulties of the time, were most astonishing, when we read a hundred years later.
The Book of Carr
Till now, Ramanujan interested in Mathematics finds a book of Carr and starts working on the problems in the book and also derives his own corollaries from them. The book was not duly explained. In spite of which Ramanujan goes ahead to understand the findings. This happens with the minimal of guidance and support. This only states the fact that, he was born only to derive Mathematics for the World of Tomorrow.
Leisure:
The word that has evolved over the years. To today's generation Leisure mostly means to stay free, doing nothing; at least from what i had thought of till date; without looking up to the dictionary. This same word meant "A Freedom to do something specified or implied". This was the leisure that Ramanujan wanted to continue his Mathematical Research.
This word comes, when Ramanujan tries hard to do more maths and struggle with a Port Clerk job. The British Raj was not all cruel. It allows a student without a degree to pursue his love for Mathematics and also pays him as a Research Student.
Search For Patrons:
Sir's search for patrons starts. Its this recognition for his work, was what Sir Ramanujan lived all his life. He walks from Door to Door,Office to Office and writes letters to. After a long list of Mathematicians, Sir sends letters to Hardy.
On the Greatest Love Stories
Hardy after receiving the letters of result, requests Ramanujan to come to England and work with him. The Hindu belief of crossing the sea being a sin stops, until Neville comes to convince and Ramanujan makes his journey to England with a ticket of Rs 400/- from being a clerk awarded Rs 25/- per month. With funding from Government and also from England.
Hardy and Ramanujan's association was a great one because, their work speaks for volumes. In the period from 1914 to 1918 Ramanujan and Hardy got out a series of papers. The papers were later collected to for a book 'The Collected Papers of S Ramanujan' published by Hardy ranged 330 pages. This book costs close Rs 4000/- Indian Money.
Why, i call this a love story? Just hold on till the end of this little story of my experience of reading Sir Ramanujan.
In Indifferent Health
The toughness of English weather and the stringent vegetarianism of Ramanujan deteriorates his health. His health struck by Tuberculosis starts going from bad to worse by the day and the War. Ramanujan is treated by keeping the windows open to chill, to reduce the increase of Tuberculosis.
This leads Hardy to put forth Ramanujan s case for an F.R.S ( Fellow Of Royal Society). Hardy plainly explains, telling that we have to give it to him for his work some day; if not in this attempt; what is the point to give after he is no longer there?.
The mathematical genius Ramanujan was is a fascinating story; well known to all of us. The story of Ramanujan telling Hardy that 1729, his taxi number as "a smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways". That is sum 12 cube and 1 cube. And sum of 10 cube and 9 cube.
The Lost Notebook
At the death bed Ramanujan discovers 620 plus formulae on Mock Theta Functions. This is after his return to India, which is safe guarded by his wife Janaki.
Long after his death, people have still been working on Ramanujan's discoveries. There are more than 300 papers addressed to Ramanujan in the title or abstract in the years after his death.
George Andrews who visits Watson's home in 1988, almost 100 years after Ramanujan's birth. This book had been passed from Watson to Hardy in 1923, then Whittaker had pulled it out of Watson's papers. Whittaker and Rankin together had put these papers in Trinity College Library. This book from Trinity Library derived by Andrews goes on to become the 'The Lost Notebook'
The airmail postage of this material was to cost 7 pounds at the time, for which Andrews goes on record to say," I was ready to take a second mortgage on my house to get it". Just emphasises the greatness of the work, on the mock theta functions.
After Death
He still lives on with his garden of discoveries being visited by many budding mathematicians and research students from varied fields.
Hardy after Ramanujan, never wanted to forget Ramanujan in the years to come In the year 1936, Hardy writes to S Chandrasekhar that he was going to deliver 12 lectures on Subjects Suggested by His Life and Work. This work was later reviewed as a Labor of Love.
Hardy proclaims Ramanujan's work as " One gift ( Ramanujan's work) has which no one can deny is the profound and invincible originality".
Ramanujan Sir continues to live and the recognition that he always desired; lives on even 60 years after his death and will for go on till the earth and mathematics lives.....
