Syllabus: Achievements of Indians in science & technology
Early Life and Education
- Born on 22 December 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu; died on 26 April 1920 in Kumbakonam.
- Displayed extraordinary mathematical talent despite limited formal training.
- Secured a University of Madras scholarship (1903) but lost it due to neglect of non-mathematical subjects.
- Published first research paper in Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society (1911).
International Recognition
- Began correspondence with G.H. Hardy (1913), marking a turning point in his career.
- Received special scholarship from University of Madras and grant from Trinity College, Cambridge.
- Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (1918), among its youngest members.
- Became the first Indian Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Major Mathematical Contributions
- Compiled nearly 3,900 results, including equations, identities, and series.
- Developed remarkable infinite series for π, enabling rapid digit calculation.
- Made intuitive contributions influencing game theory, without formal methodology.
- Advanced work on hypergeometric series, elliptic integrals, mock theta functions, and divergent series.
- Contributed to Riemann series and functional equations of the zeta function.
Ramanujan Number
- 1729, the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two ways:
Legacy
- A lost notebook, discovered in 1976 by George Andrews, revealed many unpublished insights.
- Remains a symbol of pure mathematical genius driven by intuition and creativity.