“The Man Who Knew Infinity” and the man who doesn’t



The man who didn't know infinity…
While for Ramanujam, the famous math genius, equations and numbers were the language of God, much pious and  and overflowing with goodness that I am, I still remain innocent of an engaging mathematical fervor and rapture.

A long time ago, and for a brief period, mostly due to the inimitable Sir Bannerjee’s teachings in De-Nobili school, I was beginning to be decently good in Math. But alas the affair was fleetingly brief and short-lived.

Real Analysis entered in my life like a smiling vamp of daily soaps and in the ensuing battle, soundly defeated me on all counts. Despite my best efforts, I found it completely rational to avoid learning why, in heaven’s name, √2 is irrational. 

Apart from math, Music remained another "M" that I have resigned myself to be deprived of in this mortal life.

About music, suffice to say when I tried my hand at Nitin's violin and soulful music composition straight from the heart, the normally well-mannered blind student in the adjoining hostel room suddenly turned hostile and threatened me with dire consequences if ever I tried my hand at music again. Since I was outnumbered, two to one and had watched enough Kung-fu movies with blindfolded warriors wreaking wanton havoc on defenseless souls, I immediately saw(or heard, if you wish) their point of view. Who was I to question?

Sigh. Thus a budding musical genius' career was nipped in the bud.

...and a tribute to The Man Who did

On Srinivas Ramanujam’s 124th birth anniversary this blog site pays tribute to this great mathematician from India. In his short life span of 32 years (1887-1920), this poor mathematician from Tamil Nadu, having received little formal training in Maths (he re-developed Calculus on his own to solve problems, never knowing it already existed) went on to astound first the Cambridge academician GH Hardy and then the world with his astounding mathematical theorems.


Till late, most of Ramanujam’s cryptic notebooks have been puzzling mathematicians of all nations and generations alike. Due to lack of funds and time Ramanujam used to jot down his unique postulates and theorems in his notebooks, but often didn't give proofs for them. 

 I read somewhere that he could not afford buying new notebooks hence had to use discarded pamphlets etc. to jot down his findings. 

 After his death, when scholars examined his works, most theorems were found to be correct and undiscovered till then, mathematicians struggled for decades to arrive at proofs for a large chunk of the formulas mentioned.

PS:>Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to all of you! Eat, pray, Love but please keep a check on booze, driving and population. 

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