Srinivasa Ramanujan is one of the few Indian geniuses who proved his worth to the British authorities in the pre-independence India. While India was still under British rule, S. Ramanujan, a poor south Indian boy, impressed everyone by his ability to master mathematics at an early childhood.
Scraping through poverty and disinterested in other subjects, Ramanujan had exceptional interest and skill in juggling numbers. This familiarity with Mathematics got him recognition in Madras and Bombay mathematical societies.
Ramanujan sent some of his research papers to M J M Hill, a British mathematician who acknowledged his exceptional ability in maths but pointed out the lack of necessary educational background and foundation. Consequently, he failed to enter University College London.
But Hill gave him thorough professional advice and later Ramanujan wrote to Cambridge University where G H Hardy recognized the Indian mastermind. Even J E Littlewood, a colleague of Hardy was impressed with Ramanujan’s work.
Finally, on Hardy’s invitation, Ramanujan arrived at Cambridge in April 1914 and spent nearly five years working with Hardy and Littlewood where he published important research in the field of math. Later, Ramanujan was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, the youngest in the history of Royal Society, and only the second Indian after Ardaseer Cursetjee in 1841. Ramanunaj also became the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
But unfortunately during his stay at Cambridge, he contracted tuberculosis and nutrition deficiency which compelled him to return home in 1919 where he succumbed to the illness and died in 1920, at the early age of 32.
Ramanujan was a religious Hindu Brahmin who credited his mathematical acumen to Goddess Namagiri Thayar of Namakkal, saying that numbers used to come to him as divine blessings. His works in the ‘lost notebook’ are still creating excitement and enthusiasm among mathematicians. A number of important works are credited to Ramanujan and he was honoured with various awards and recognitions during and after his lifetime.
The 2015 Hollywood movie ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ by Matthew Brown is based on Robert Kanigel’s novel on Ramanujan. There are also other interesting books as well as audio-visual works on the life and works of Ramanujan.
It can only be imagined what perseverance and dedication was required for him to make it to Cambridge from his poverty-ridden condition in Madras in the pre-independence era. Ramanujan commands high respect amongst the mathematical circles of England even today, and thus posthumously remains a ‘Living Bridge’ between the two countries.
