Contents
Srinivasa Ramanujan
Extraordinary discoveries about numbers, infinite series and partitions.
Number theory · Partition formula · Mock theta functions
- Born
- 22 December 1887
- Birthplace
- Erode, India
- Died
- 26 April 1920
More people
Srinivasa Ramanujan
Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician who developed much of his early work independently. A letter to G. H. Hardy brought him to Cambridge, where their collaboration produced major results in number theory. His notebooks continued to inspire research after his death at 32.
Early life
Kumbakonam childhood
Grew up in Kumbakonam and pursued mathematics with unusual intensity.
Independent study
Worked through a compendium of mathematical results; difficulties in other subjects disrupted college studies.
Career
- 1912
Madras Port Trust
Worked as a clerk while continuing mathematical research.
- 1913
A letter to Hardy
Sent results to G. H. Hardy, beginning a decisive mathematical partnership.
- 1914–1918
Cambridge research
Worked in Cambridge and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918.
- 1919–1920
Return to India
Returned in poor health and continued working until his death.
Contributions
Fast series for pi
Published rapidly converging infinite series involving pi.
Partition formula
With Hardy, found a powerful approximation for the number of ways to partition an integer.
Mock theta functions
Introduced new functions in his last letter to Hardy.
Beyond mathematics
Family life
Married Janaki in 1909. After his death, she helped preserve his memory.
Notebooks after his death
Researchers spent decades proving and extending results recorded in his notebooks.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗MacTutor biography ↗Royal Society account ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. CC BY 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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