Srinivasa Ramanujan - Biography

Introduction

Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician who contributed significantly to the discipline of mathematics through his extraordinary knowledge. He did mathematical experiments that are still used today. He is regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of his time. 

Here, we will reflect on Ramanujan's life journey. He was a mathematician who had never received any formal training in the subject but had established a worldwide reputation as a great mathematician due to his remarkable discoveries. He amassed over 3900 mathematical theorems and produced approximately 120 formulas. Two of his famous theorems are Ramanujan Prime and Ramanujan Theta Function.

Apart from that, his study has been published worldwide, allowing his mathematical experiments to be used worldwide. So, let us learn about the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a famous mathematician who has made substantial contributions to the area of mathematics.

The Childhood Of Srinivasa Ramanujan

On December 22, 1887, Srinivasa Ramanujan was born in Erode, Tamil Nadu, India's south-eastern state. K. Srinivasa Iyengar, his father, worked as an accounting clerk for a garment merchant. While, Komalatammal, his mother, made a reasonable living as a temple singer. They stayed in a tiny traditional house on Kumbakonam's Sarangapani Sannidhi Street.

His family belonged to the Hindu caste of Brahmins, priests, and intellectuals. His mother developed in him a deep understanding of Brahmin culture and traditions. They belonged superior caste, but his family was impoverished.

About Education Of Srinivasa Ramanujan

Ramanujan's parents usually shifted from one place to another, and thus he enrolled in several different elementary schools throughout his career. He had expanded the mathematical skills of two college students who were roommates at his house by 11. S. L. Loney later offered him a book on basic trigonometry. He understood it at the age of 13 while individually inventing complex theorems.

He obtained merit certificates and academic prizes by the age of 14. He contributed to the school by organizing the logistics of assigning its 1,200 pupils, each with specific requirements, to about 35 professors. He cleared math examinations in half the time given and proved an understanding of geometry and infinite series.

Ramanujan learned to solve cubic problems in 1902, and he later developed his method for solving quartic equations. The next year, he helped to overcome the quintic, unaware that it could not be solved using radicals. Ramanujan obtained the K. Ranganatha Rao prize for mathematics when he graduated from Town Higher Secondary School in 1904. Iyer introduced Ramanujan as a brilliant student who deserved to receive higher grades. He had the scholarship to attend Government Arts College in Kumbakonam. Still, he was so concentrated on mathematics that he couldn't focus on any other subjects, and as a result, he failed in other subjects and could not earn the scholarship.

Profile Of Srinivasa Ramanujan

• Full Name: Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan
• Nick Name: Srinivasa
• Date of Birth: December 22, 1887
• Birth Place: Erode, Tamilnadu.
• Nationality: Indian
• Hometown: Erode, Tamilnadu
• Religion: Hinduism
• Zodiac Sign:  Capricorn
• Date of Death: April 26, 1920 (age 32)
• Occupation: Mathematician
• Parents:  Father: K. Srinivasa Iyengar
  • Mother: Komalatammal
• Siblings: Sadagopan Ramanujan
• Marital Status: married
• Wife Name: Janakiammal
• Hobbies: traveling, reading books, and writing

Physical Statistics Of Srinivasa Ramanujan

• Height: 5ft 8 in
• Weight: 66 kg
• Eye Colour: Black
• Hair Colour: Black
• Body type: Slim

Qualifications Of Srinivasa Ramanujan

• School: Town higher Secondary school
• College/University: Trinity College and the University of Cambridge.

                                           Pachaiyappa’s College, Government Arts College Kumbakonam

• Education Degree: Post Graduate

Net Worth Of Srinivasa Ramanujan

• Net Worth: Between $1 Million – $5 Million
• Source of Income: Mathematician

Younger Life Of Srinivasa Ramanujan

Ramanujan wedded Janaki, a ten-year-old girl. Marriages between young girls and boys were common back then. Janaki was from Rajendram, near the Marudur Railway Station in the Karur district. Ramanujan's father did not attend the wedding. Janaki lived in her paternal house for three years after her marriage until she fully matured, as was culturally acceptable at the period. She and Ramanujan's mother came to Madras to be with Ramanujan in 1912.

Ramanujan has a hydrocele testis problem shortly after his marriage. The illness was treatable with a standard surgical operation to relieve the trapped fluid in the biomaterial, but his family couldn't afford it. A doctor agreed to do the treatment for free in January 1910.

Ramanujan looked for work after his successful operation. While looking for clerical work in Madras, he stayed with a friend. He guided students at Presidency College who were studying for the Fellow of Arts test to supplement his income.

Ramanujan became ill once more in 1910. Ramanujan took a train from Kumbakonam to Villupuram, a city under French rule, after getting recovered and obtaining his notes from Iyer. In 1912, in George Town, Madras, Ramanujan moved to a house on Saiva Muthaiah Mudali street with his wife and mother, where they remained for a few months. After obtaining a research job at Madras University, Ramanujan and his family arrived at Triplicane in May 1913.

His Initial Struggle

Ramanujan struggled a lot in his childhood. He formerly struggled greatly with poverty and unemployment. He used to make a living by giving tuition or something like that. At the same time, obtaining a mathematical education became a significant obstacle for him. Srinivasa Ramanujan maintained his bravery and pursued his mathematical studies despite these difficulties.

In 1908, Ramanujan's mother married Ramanujan to a girl named Janaki. He relocated to Madras to seek a job to take duty for his married life, but he could not get a job due to his failure to complete the 12th class, and his health was negatively impacted.

Ramanujan, who was determined in his ambition, saw his health improve once more and went to Madras in search of a job, this time presenting his mathematical education. As a result, he was required to return to Kumbakonam. After a few days of considerable struggle and difficulty, he met Shri V. Ramaswamy Iyer, a mathematics scholar and the area's deputy collector.

Ramanujan delivered his first research effort in the "Journal of Indian Mathematical Society" while staying in Madras for a year. His life began to change. Iyer realized his excellent mathematical ability and was offered a monthly scholarship of Rs 25 for him. His research article was well accepted, and he became recognized as a brilliant mathematician. He began working as a clerk for the Madras Port Trust in 1912. In addition to his work, he used to apply his creativity to create mathematical studies and creative sources.

Ramanujan At Cambridge

Ramanujan came to Cambridge in April 1914, three months before War Broke out. He started working with Hardy and Littlewood after a few days. He was given the counterpart of a Ph.D. For his efforts, two years later, a purely ceremonial award was given to him.

Ramanujan's extraordinary mathematical output impressed Hardy and Littlewood. He carried hundreds of identities, equations, and theorems from India in his notes between 1903 and 1914. Previous mathematicians had found some; some had been misidentified as lack of experience, and several were new.

The contributions of Ramanujan to mathematics

• Ramanujan collected over 3,900 equations and identities throughout his work. One of his most prized discoveries was his infinite series for pi. Many techniques we use today are based on this series. He provided various intriguing methods for calculating the digits of pi in a variety of unusual ways.
• He came up with several new ideas for solving various difficult mathematical problems. His contribution to game theory is straightforward, and it is still incomparable today.
• He developed the mock theta function, which is a mathematical idea in the field of modular form. It was once thought to be a mystery, but it is now understood to be holomorphic elements of mass forms.
• George Andrews came across some of Ramanujan's notes in the Trinity College library in 1976. The contents of this notebook were eventually turned into a book.
• The Ramanujan number 1729 is well-known. It's the addition of the cubes of two numbers, ten and nine. The cube of 10 is 1000, and the cube of 9 is 729; combining the two figures yields 1729.
• Ramanujan's contributions to mathematics include complex analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continuing fractions, among others.

About Srinivasa Ramanujan

Ramanujan, a great intellect, was always performing new mathematical studies. Although Ramanujan required the support of an English mathematician at the opportunity to carry out the mathematical study, the Indian mathematician had a tough time presenting himself to the British scientists.

However, with the assistance of some of his friends and supporters, Ramanujan informed Professor Seshu Iyer about his mathematical theory. He advised sending it to Professor Hardy, a well-known mathematician. Hardy initially did not grasp but eventually realized Ramanujan's outstanding mathematical ability. Professor Hardy received a list of Ramanujan's mathematical theorems in a letter he sent in 1913.

Ramanujan and Hardy began communicating, and Professor Hardy invited Ramanujan to conduct mathematical research at Cambridge, England. Ramanujan then traveled to Trinity College, Cambridge, to work with Hardy on research, and he produced numerous articles as a result.

Srinivas Ramanujan earned his B.B.A. degree during this period. At the same time, Ramanujan's health was failing as he contracted tuberculosis and spent a few days in a hospital.

Royal Society Member

He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society for his outstanding mathematical abilities. He was the youngest person ever elected to the Royal Society. Following that, he became the first Indian to be awarded a Trinity College fellowship. He was enrolled in the Cambridge Philosophical Society too.

Following that, he explored mathematics with his fantastic ideas one after the other, gaining numerous accomplishments in his profession, but his continually declining health was obstructing his path. Continuously, on the suggestion of physicians, he went to India and continued teaching and research at Madras University.

Death

Ramanujan suffered from health issues throughout his life. He was hospitalized after being diagnosed with TB and a severe vitamin deficit. He returned to Kumbakonam in the Madras Presidency in 1919, and at the age of 32, he died in 1920. After his death, Ramanujan's handwritten notes on single moduli, hypergeometric series, and continuing fractions were gathered by his brother Tirunarayanan.

The famous mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who was very unwell at the end of his life, struggled with tuberculosis, which caused his illness to collapse. As a result, on April 26, 1920, he died his last at only 33 years.

A Few Facts About Srinivasa Ramanujan

• Srinivasa Ramanujan was generally alone at school. His friends could never understand him. He received no formal instruction in pure mathematics. Ramanujan was from a low-income family and used a pen plate to observe the results of his mathematics instead of paper.
• He had to give up his Royal society membership to attend Government Art College, and he struggled in other courses because he concentrated on mathematics.
• Ramanujan never completed a college education. Despite this, he developed some of the most well-known mathematical theorems.
• In England, Ramanujan witnessed racism.
• Because of his contributions, 1729 is known as the Hardy-Ramanujan number.
• His life was converted into the Tamil film 'Ramanujan's Life' in 2014.
• At Google's 125th Anniversary, Ramanujan was awarded a doogle.
• Srinivasa Ramanujan will be known for his efforts in mathematics for the longest time.

Spirituality And Personality

Ramanujan has been regarded as a humble and quiet man with excellent manners. At Cambridge, he had a humble existence. The early Indian biographers of Ramanujan described him as a devout Hindu.  

Hardy describes Ramanujan as saying that all religions appeared to him to be equally truthful. Hardy also claimed that Indian biographers had overstated Ramanujan's religious beliefs. He also mentioned Ramanujan's intense lifestyle at the time.

The Net Worth

Srinivasa Ramanujan has an average net worth of $1 million to $5 million U.S. dollars. His major career as a mathematician has brought him a lot of money.