Srinivasa Ramanujan: The Genius Who Touched Infinity(December 22, 1887- April 26, 1920)

-


Srinivasa Ramanujan: The Genius Who Touched Infinity(December 22, 1887- April 26, 1920)

Early Life and Background

Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on December 22, 1887, in Erode, a small town in the present-day Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was born into a poor Tamil Brahmin Iyengar family. His father, K. Srinivasa Iyengar, worked as a clerk in a sari shop in Kumbakonam, and his mother, Komalatammal, was a devout housewife who also sang religious hymns at a local temple.

From an early age, Ramanujan showed signs of exceptional brilliance in mathematics. He had an extraordinary memory and a deep fascination with numbers, often astounding his teachers with his uncanny ability to solve complex problems without any formal training.

When he was around 10 years old, he was recognized as a prodigy in his school. At the age of 13, he had already mastered advanced trigonometry and was developing his own theorems. By the time he was 16, he came across a copy of G.S. Carr's A Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics, which listed thousands of mathematical formulas. This book profoundly influenced Ramanujan and served as a springboard for his independent mathematical explorations.

Struggles in Academic Life

Although he excelled in mathematics, Ramanujan struggled in other subjects. He was awarded a scholarship to attend the Government Arts College in Kumbakonam but lost it due to poor performance in non-mathematical subjects. He later tried enrolling in other colleges, including Pachaiyappa's College in Madras, but continued to face similar issues. His intense focus on mathematics came at the cost of neglecting other disciplines.

Despite these setbacks, Ramanujan continued his work independently, filling notebooks with thousands of formulas, identities, and theorems—many of which were original and ahead of their time. These notebooks would later become legendary in the mathematical world.

Search for Recognition

To support his family and continue his studies, Ramanujan worked various odd jobs. He eventually secured a clerical position at the Madras Port Trust through the support of influential patrons like Ramaswamy Iyer and Ramachandra Rao, who recognized his potential and helped him financially and socially.

Realizing he needed to connect with established mathematicians to grow further, Ramanujan began writing to scholars in England. In 1913, he sent a letter filled with his mathematical findings to G.H. Hardy, a renowned professor at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Journey to England and Collaboration with G.H. Hardy

Hardy was deeply impressed by the depth and originality of Ramanujan’s work. He said, “A single look at them is enough to show that they could only be written by a mathematician of the highest class.” With Hardy's support, arrangements were made for Ramanujan to travel to England.

In 1914, amidst the backdrop of World War I, Ramanujan arrived in Cambridge. Despite cultural shock, dietary challenges (being a strict vegetarian), and the cold English climate, he immersed himself in collaborative research with Hardy and other mathematicians.

During his five years in Cambridge, Ramanujan made significant contributions to several areas:

  • Number Theory
  • Modular Functions
  • Infinite Series
  • Continued Fractions
  • Elliptic Integrals
  • Partition Functions

One of his greatest achievements was the formulation of the Ramanujan–Hardy formula for the partition of numbers, a landmark in analytic number theory.

In 1918, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society—one of the youngest to receive this honor and only the second Indian at the time. He also became the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Health Decline and Return to India

Ramanujan's health began to decline severely during his time in England. His strict vegetarian diet, combined with the cold and lack of proper nutrition, likely worsened underlying medical conditions. He was hospitalized several times but continued to work and write even from his sickbed.

In 1919, after being diagnosed with a severe illness (possibly tuberculosis or a liver infection), he returned to India. Though he hoped the familiar climate and food would restore his health, his condition continued to deteriorate.

On April 26, 1920, at the young age of 32, Srinivasa Ramanujan passed away in Madras (now Chennai), leaving behind a wealth of unpublished work and unsolved mathematical mysteries.

Legacy

Ramanujan’s legacy is monumental, not only for the depth of his contributions but also for the inspiration his story provides. Some of his results were so ahead of their time that it took decades for modern mathematicians to prove them. His famous "lost notebook", discovered in the 1970s at the Wren Library in Cambridge, contained many groundbreaking ideas still being explored today.

His work has influenced multiple fields, including:

  • String Theory
  • Quantum Physics
  • Computer Science
  • Cryptography

To honor his contributions, the Government of India declared December 22 as National Mathematics Day in 2012. That same year marked his 125th birth anniversary, which was celebrated globally. His life and struggles were portrayed in the 2015 film The Man Who Knew Infinity, based on the biography by Robert Kanigel.

Conclusion

Srinivasa Ramanujan was a beacon of pure mathematical intuition. His life stands as a testament to the power of human curiosity, self-belief, and the enduring strength of the human mind, even in the most challenging circumstances. Despite limited resources and formal education, he achieved immortality through his mathematical insights—redefining what the human mind can achieve through passion, perseverance, and divine inspiration.


टिप्पणियाँ

एक टिप्पणी भेजें

इस ब्लॉग से लोकप्रिय पोस्ट

सुमित्रानंदन पंत(20 मई 1900- 28 दिसंबर 1977)

-
चित्र
सुमित्रानंदन पंत(20 मई 1900- 28 दिसंबर 1977)  जन्मभूमि और प्रारंभिक जीवन का प्रभाव सुमित्रानंदन पंत का जन्म 20 मई 1900 को उत्तराखंड के कौसानी नामक स्थान पर हुआ, जो हिमालय की गोद में बसा एक रमणीय पर्वतीय क्षेत्र है। उनके जन्म के कुछ समय बाद ही उनकी माता का देहांत हो गया। यह घटना उनके कोमल बाल-मन पर गहरा प्रभाव डाल गई और उनके व्यक्तित्व में एक अंतर्मुखी संवेदनशीलता का संचार हुआ। कौसानी की प्राकृतिक छटा—बर्फ से ढकी पर्वत-श्रृंखलाएँ, नील आकाश, सुरम्य वन, पुष्पवती घाटियाँ—ने उनके अंतर्मन में सौंदर्य के प्रति अत्यंत कोमल और उदात्त भाव जगाए। यही कारण है कि उन्हें हिंदी का "प्रकृति का सुकुमार कवि" कहा जाता है। शिक्षा और बौद्धिक विकास पंत जी ने प्रारंभिक शिक्षा कौसानी और अल्मोड़ा में प्राप्त की। इसके बाद वे इलाहाबाद विश्वविद्यालय में पढ़ाई के लिए आए, जहाँ वे तत्कालीन राष्ट्रवादी आंदोलन और साहित्यिक गतिविधियों के संपर्क में आए। इलाहाबाद उस समय हिंदी साहित्य का प्रमुख केंद्र था। वहीं उन्होंने "गोसाईं दत्त" से अपना नाम बदलकर सुमित्रानंदन पंत रखा। वे अंग्रेज...
और पढ़ें

*जूड़-शीतल: मिथिला का पारंपरिक त्योहार(एक सांस्कृतिक धरोहर की अनुभूति)

-
चित्र
* जूड़-शीतल: मिथिला का पारंपरिक त्योहार (एक सांस्कृतिक धरोहर की अनुभूति) भारतवर्ष की सांस्कृतिक विविधता में मिथिला की परंपराएं एक विशेष स्थान रखती हैं। यहाँ के लोक-त्योहारों में न सिर्फ धार्मिक आस्था झलकती है, बल्कि जीवन के प्राकृतिक चक्रों से जुड़ाव भी स्पष्ट रूप से दृष्टिगोचर होता है। ऐसा ही एक अनुपम त्योहार है — जूड़-शीतल। जूड़-शीतल: नाम का अर्थ 'जूड़' का अर्थ होता है शीतलता या ठंडक पहुँचाना, और 'शीतल' का अर्थ है ठंडा या शांत। इस पर्व का उद्देश्य है – जीवन में शीतलता, शांति और ताजगी लाना। यह त्योहार गर्मी के प्रारंभ में, बैसाख माह के पहले दिन (वैशाख संक्रांति) मनाया जाता है, जब सूर्य मेष राशि में प्रवेश करता है और गर्मी अपना प्रभाव दिखाने लगती है। इस पर्व का प्रकृति से संबंध मिथिला की संस्कृति हमेशा प्रकृति के साथ तालमेल में रही है। जूड़-शीतल पर्व इस संबंध का सुंदर उदाहरण है। यह पर्व न केवल पर्यावरण की शुद्धता और शीतलता की कामना करता है, बल्कि घर-परिवार, खेत-खलिहान, और पशु-पक्षियों तक की शीतलता सुनिश्चित करने की भावना से जुड़ा होता है। पर्व की पूर्...
और पढ़ें

माधव सदाशिवराव गोलवलकर (19 फरवरी 1906 – 5 जून 1973)

-
चित्र
माधव सदाशिवराव गोलवलकर (19 फरवरी 1906 – 5 जून 1973) माधव सदाशिवराव गोलवलकर, जिन्हें प्रायः "गुरुजी" के नाम से जाना जाता है, राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ (RSS) के द्वितीय सरसंघचालक थे। वे आरएसएस के सबसे प्रभावशाली नेताओं में गिने जाते हैं और हिन्दुत्व विचारधारा को स्पष्ट रूप देने तथा संगठन को विस्तार देने में उनका महत्वपूर्ण योगदान रहा। प्रारंभिक जीवन और शिक्षा गोलवलकर का जन्म 19 फरवरी 1906 को ब्रिटिश भारत के सेंट्रल प्रोविन्सेज़ एंड बेरार के रामटेक नामक स्थान पर एक मराठी करहाडे ब्राह्मण परिवार में हुआ था। उनके पिता सदाशिवराव एक शिक्षक थे और बाद में एक हाई स्कूल के प्रधानाचार्य बने। नौ संतानों में वे एकमात्र जीवित रहने वाले पुत्र थे। बचपन से ही गोलवलकर को धर्म और आध्यात्म में गहरी रुचि थी। उन्होंने नागपुर के हिस्लॉप कॉलेज में पढ़ाई की, लेकिन बाद में बनारस हिंदू विश्वविद्यालय (BHU) चले गए। वहाँ से उन्होंने 1927 में विज्ञान स्नातक (B.Sc.) और 1929 में जीवविज्ञान में स्नातकोत्तर (M.Sc.) की उपाधि प्राप्त की। इसके साथ-साथ उन्होंने कानून की भी पढ़ाई की और BHU में प्राणीशास...
और पढ़ें