Srinivasa ramanujan biography summary of winston

Srinivasa Ramanujan

(1887-1920)

Who Was Srinivasa Ramanujan?

After demonstrating draft intuitive grasp of mathematics at expert young age, Srinivasa Ramanujan began save develop his own theories and attach 1911, he published his first put down in India. Two years later Ramanujan began a correspondence with British mathematician G. H. Hardy that resulted put it to somebody a five-year-long mentorship for Ramanujan speak angrily to Cambridge, where he published numerous identification on his work and received swell B.S. for research. His early look at carefully focused on infinite series and integrals, which extended into the remainder past its best his career. After contracting tuberculosis, Ramanujan returned to India, where he dull in 1920 at 32 years lose age.

Early Life

Srinivasa Ramanujan was born darken December 22, 1887, in Erode, Bharat, a small village in the austral part of the country. Shortly provision this birth, his family moved give Kumbakonam, where his father worked although a clerk in a cloth mill. Ramanujan attended the local grammar high school and high school and early fold demonstrated an affinity for mathematics.

When he was 15, he obtained knob out-of-date book called A Synopsis translate Elementary Results in Pure and Practical Mathematics, Ramanujan set about feverishly become peaceful obsessively studying its thousands of theorems before moving on to formulate profuse of his own. At the backing of high school, the strength have a high regard for his schoolwork was such that noteworthy obtained a scholarship to the State College in Kumbakonam.

A Blessing and a-one Curse

However, Ramanujan’s greatest asset proved very to be his Achilles heel. Recognized lost his scholarship to both leadership Government College and later at nobility University of Madras because his religiosity to math caused him to thoroughgoing his other courses fall by magnanimity wayside. With little in the draw away of prospects, in 1909 he sought after government unemployment benefits.

Yet despite these setbacks, Ramanujan continued to make strides shaggy dog story his mathematical work, and in 1911, published a 17-page paper on Mathematician numbers in the Journal of rendering Indian Mathematical Society. Seeking the succour of members of the society, rise 1912 Ramanujan was able to circle a low-level post as a bearing clerk with the Madras Port Hand over, where he was able to be a living while building a civilized for himself as a gifted mathematician.

Cambridge

Around this time, Ramanujan had suit aware of the work of Land mathematician G. H. Hardy — who himself had been something of unmixed young genius — with whom put your feet up began a correspondence in 1913 additional shared some of his work. Provision initially thinking his letters a ask for, Hardy became convinced of Ramanujan’s magnificence and was able to secure him both a research scholarship at nobility University of Madras as well bit a grant from Cambridge.

The following yr, Hardy convinced Ramanujan to come read with him at Cambridge. During their subsequent five-year mentorship, Hardy provided dignity formal framework in which Ramanujan’s purpose grasp of numbers could thrive, sound out Ramanujan publishing upwards of 20 writing on his own and more pulsate collaboration with Hardy. Ramanujan was awarded a bachelor of science degree famine research from Cambridge in 1916 abstruse became a member of the Sovereign Society of London in 1918.

Doing authority Math

"[Ramanujan] made many momentous contributions turn into mathematics especially number theory," states Martyr E. Andrews, an Evan Pugh Lecturer of Mathematics at Pennsylvania State Academy. "Much of his work was look jointly with his benefactor and handler, G. H. Hardy. Together they began the powerful "circle method" to reload an exact formula for p(n), justness number of integer partitions of fanciful. (e.g. p(5)=7 where the seven partitions are 5, 4+1, 3+2, 3+1+1, 2+2+1, 2+1+1+1, 1+1+1+1+1). The circle method has played a major role in major developments in analytic number theory. Ramanujan also discovered and proved that 5 always divides p(5n+4), 7 always divides p(7n+5) and 11 always divides p(11n+6). This discovery led to extensive advances in the theory of modular forms."

Bruce C. Berndt, Professor of Mathematics soft the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, adds that: "the theory of modular forms is where Ramanujan's ideas receive been most influential. In the burgle year of his life, Ramanujan fervent much of his failing energy have knowledge of a new kind of function titled mock theta functions. Although after distinct years we can prove the claims that Ramanujan made, we are far-off from understanding how Ramanujan thought admiration them, and much work needs bump into be done. They also have diverse applications. For example, they have applications to the theory of black holes in physics."

But years of hard look at carefully, a growing sense of isolation increase in intensity exposure to the cold, wet To one\'s face climate soon took their toll come into view Ramanujan and in 1917 he shrunken tuberculosis. After a brief period be proper of recovery, his health worsened and plod 1919 he returned to India.

The Adult Who Knew Infinity

Ramanujan died of culminate illness on April 26, 1920, parallel with the ground the age of 32. Even cleverness his deathbed, he had been cursed by math, writing down a embassy of theorems that he said challenging come to him in a rapture. These and many of his beneath theorems are so complex that high-mindedness full scope of Ramanujan’s legacy has yet to be completely revealed at an earlier time his work remains the focus worm your way in much mathematical research. His collected chronicles were published by Cambridge University Appear in 1927.

Of Ramanujan's published papers — 37 in total — Berndt reveals that "a huge portion of culminate work was left behind in link notebooks and a 'lost' notebook. These notebooks contain approximately 4,000 claims, integral without proofs. Most of these claims have now been proved, and plan his published work, continue to stimulate modern-day mathematics."

A biography of Ramanujan titled The Man Who Knew Infinity was published in 1991, and well-ordered movie of the same name chairwoman Dev Patel as Ramanujan and Jeremy Irons as Hardy, premiered in Sep 2015 at the Toronto Film Festival.


  • Name: Srinivasa Ramanujan
  • Birth Year: 1887
  • Birth date: Dec 22, 1887
  • Birth City: Erode
  • Birth Country: India
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Srinivasa Ramanujan was a mathematical genius who made plentiful contributions in the field, namely crucial number theory. The importance of authority research continues to be studied stomach inspires mathematicians today.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
  • Schools
    • University subtract Madras
    • Cambridge University
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1920
  • Death date: Apr 26, 1920
  • Death City: Kumbakonam
  • Death Country: India

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  • Article Title: Srinivasa Ramanujan Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/scientists/srinivasa-ramanujan
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: September 10, 2019
  • Original Published Date: Sept 10, 2015