Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan, popularly known as S. Ramanujan, was amongst the most renowned and respected mathematicians in India. He is credited with making numerous significant contributions to various fields of mathematics. This great mathematician was a self-taught learner and had no formal education in pure mathematics. He had made astonishing contributions to number theory, continued fractions, mathematical analysis and infinite series. Ramanujan is generally considered as one of the soaring geniuses in mathematics.
Early Life of Srinivasa Ramanujan
Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan was born on 22nd of December, 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu. He struggled with poverty during his childhood days. However he was talented in mathematics. Ramanujan failed to complete his formal studies after Matriculation, due to his lack of attendance to the subjects other than mathematics. He failed twice in the Fine Arts degree exam. Once his formal education was over, he had to face a lot of difficulties in earning his livelihood. He actively started searching for jobs, after his marriage with Janaki. However, he had to wait for 5 long years before getting a job, as he did not have any formal educational certificate with him.
Career of Srinivasa Ramanujan
While pursuing for job, Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan travelled extensively to Chennai and the neighbouring towns and during this course; he met several mathematicians who became his friends. As a result of which he got a chance to meet R. Ramchandra Rao, the Collector of Nellore. He soon granted S. Ramanujan a good scholarship of Rs 25 per month from his personal funds so that Ramanujan could pursue his passion for mathematics without even having a job. He also arranged a job for him and Ramanujan soon joined in a clerical post in the Madras Port Trust. He was a Class III Grade-IV Clerk. Apart from studying mathematics, Ramanujan also started contributing research papers in the newly started Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society.
The turning point in Ramanujan"s life occurred when he got the chance to go to England and pursue systematic studies in higher mathematics. He spent almost five years over there to collaborate with Hardy and Littlewood in Cambridge and to publish the parts of his findings. Apart from that, Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan also got a fellowship in the University of Madras for pursuing research in mathematics, in spite of lacking formal education.
Achievements of Srinivasa Ramanujan
Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan was awarded PhD Degree in London in March 1916 for his work on highly composite numbers. The first part of this work was published in the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society. He was elected to the London Mathematical Society on 6th December 1917. He was also elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918 for his investigation in Elliptic Functions and the Theory of Numbers. He was the second Indian to become a Fellow and also one of the youngest Fellows in the entire history of the Royal Society. Ramanujan also became the first Indian to be elected as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge for his contribution in developing the Number Theory, on 13th of October, 1918.
Contributions of Srinivasa Ramanujan
The chief contribution of Ramanujan in mathematics lies mainly in analysis, game theory and infinite series. He made in depth analysis in order to solve various mathematical problems by bringing to light new and novel ideas that gave impetus to progress the game theory.
Death of Srinivasa Ramanujan
Ramanujan was diagnosed with tuberculosis and a severe vitamin deficiency and was confined to a hospital. After suffering from various diseases for some months, Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan eventually came back to India from England but unfortunately, he died at the young age of 32 years on 26th of April, 1920.
Honours to Srinivasa Ramanujan
The Government of India issued a commemorative stamp to pay tribute and honour the 75th Birth Anniversary of Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan in 1962.
Tamil Nadu celebrates his birthday as the "State IT Day".
The Ramanujan Journal was launched as an international publication, which included his work in areas of mathematics.
A bust of Srinivasa Ramanujan has been built inside the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum.
After his death, "Nature" listed Ramanujan among the other genius scientists and Mathematicians on a "Calendar of Scientific Pioneers".
Ramanujan"s birthday 22nd December is celebrated as Ramanujan Day in Government Arts College, Kumbakonam, where he studied and in IIT in Chennai.
In 2011, Indian Government declared his birthday 22 December as the National Mathematics Day to commemorate his 125th birthday.
