ramanujan's life and his genius

Ramanujan’s life and his genius

Math Fest 2008, Jan-18-2008

The Passport Photo

1887-1920

Ramanujan in Feb 24--1919, on his way back to India.

A thought of God

``An equation for me has no meaning unless it expresses a thought of God.’’

A thought of a 7 year old

A thought of a 7 year old

``If no fruits are divided among no one, will each still get one? Is zero divided by zero is also one?”

Books Ramanujan studied

• S.L. Loney’s Trigonometry (1893). Ramanujan mastered it when he was 13.

• A Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics by George Schoobridge Carr. Ramanujan read this synopsis around 1903.

Failing in F.A.

• Ramanujan joined the Government college at Kumbakonam. He failed his F.A. exams miserably. (1904-1905)

• He then joined Pachaippa’s college at Madras where he would fail again on his F.A. exams. On his physiology exam, he would write: `` Sir, this is my undigested part of the Digestion chapter”.(1906-1907)

F.A. Grades

Volume 3 of Ramaswami iyer’s new journal

Some Properties of Bernoulli Numbers

The Port Trust Clerical JobSir,

I understand there is a clerkship vacant in your office, and I beg to apply for the same. I have passed the matriculation examination and studied up to the F.A. but was prevented from pursuing my studies further owing to several outward circumstances. I have, however, been devoting all my time to mathematics and developing the subject. I can say I am quite confident I can do justice to my work if I am appointed to the post. I therefore beg to request that you will be good enough to confer the appointment on me.

I beg to remain,9th february 1912 Sir,

Your most obedient servant,S. Ramanujan.

The Letter to Hardy

Seemed scarcely believable

Least impressive and somewhat indifferent

The problem that completely defeated me

The Trip to England

He takes the ship Nevasa on March 17, 1914 to England

The distribution of primes

Godfrey Harold Hardy

Hardy in his prime

Who doesn’t love cricket?


• ``The problem is most easily grasped in the language of cricket’’



• His highest accolade was to rate a mathematical proof, say, as being ``In the Hobbs Class’’



• His highest accolade was to rate a mathematical proof, say, as being ``In the Hobbs Class’’

• Her sister would lose her eye as a child, when Hardy, playing carelessly with a cricket bat, struck her; she has to wear a glass eye for the rest of her life.

Hardy and God

• Once, as he and a clergy mean walked in the fog, they saw a boy with a string and stick. The clergyman likened God’s presence to a kite, felt but unseen. In the fog he told young Hardy, ``you cannot see the kite flying, but you feel the pull of the string.’’ But in the fog, Hardy thought, there is no wind and no kite can fly.

Hardy’s New Year Resolutions


• Prove the Riemann Hypothesis.


• Prove the Riemann Hypothesis.• Make 211 not out in the fourth innings of the

last test match at the Oval.



last test match at the Oval.• Find an argument for the nonexistence of God

which shall convince the general public.




which shall convince the general public.• Be the first man at the top of Mt. Everest.




which shall convince the general public.• Be the first man at the top of Mt. Everest• Be proclaimed the first president of the

U.S.S.R. of Great Britain and Germany.




which shall convince the general public.• Be the first man at the top of Mt. Everest• Be proclaimed the first president of the

U.S.S.R. of Great Britain and Germany.• Murder Mussolini.

ramanujan's life and his genius

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