India is the homeland of many greatest Mathematicians but Srinivasa Ramanujan is someone who remains one of the most extraordinary mathematicians in history. He was born on 22 December 1887, who produced magnificient discoveries in number theory, infinite series, partitions, and Pi formulas. Despite limited formal schooling, he achieved such theories in modern mathematics, which have become the foundation for his self-driven mathematical journey.
Since, his birth anniversary is near, let us explore about his contribution to Mathematics, his biography and several other Mathematical disocveries. He passed away on 26 April 1920, but his legacy still continues to inspire young Mathematicians.
What were the Srinivasa Ramanujan’s Contribution to Mathematics?
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Ramanujan’s contributions came from pure intuition and creativity. His major achievements include:
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The partition function and remarkable partition congruences
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Ramanujan’s tau function
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Profound work on continued fractions
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The Ramanujan prime and theta functions
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A new approach to divergent series via Ramanujan summation
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Early frameworks of mock modular forms, validated decades later
His three notebooks and the famous “Lost Notebook” remain vital mathematical resources.
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What was Srinivasa Ramanujan Pi Formulas?
Ramanujan developed some of the fastest-converging Pi formulas ever created. These formulas later became the basis of several algorithms used today to compute π to millions of decimal places. Moreover, you might be surprised to know that the Modern supercomputers still rely on Ramanujaninspired methods.
What was the Hardy–Ramanujan Collaboration?
Do you know that in 1913, Ramanujan sent a letter filled with theorems to Cambridge mathematician G.H. Hardy? He was someone who immediately recognised his exceptional talent.
In 1914, Ramanujan moved to England, where the duo published influential papers on partitions, prime numbers, and modular forms. Their friendship also led to the discovery of the famous Hardy–Ramanujan number (1729), the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.
What was Srinivasa Ramanujan’s Famous Quote?
Ramanujan believed numbers were divine revelations. His philosophy centred on zero as absolute reality and infinity as its infinite manifestations. He famously said:
“An equation for me has no meaning unless it expresses a thought of God.”
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Trivia Facts: Srinivasa Ramanujan's Biography
Some trivia facts about Srinivasa Ramanujan's Biography includes:
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His 1903 discovery of G.S. Carr’s Synopsis of Pure Mathematics became his self-training manual.
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Despite failing college exams due to focusing only on mathematics, he independently produced results that later aligned with advanced European research unknown to him.
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His collaboration with G.H. Hardy not only transformed his career but also led to the Hardy–Ramanujan asymptotic formula, a landmark result in number theory.
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Even after he died in 1920, previously unseen pages in his “Lost Notebook,” discovered in 1976, revealed hundreds of new theorems that remain influential in modern fields such as string theory and modular forms.
If you want to learn more about the greatest Mathematicians in History, click this link to explore their discoveries.
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