National Mathematics Day 2021

Context

India observes National Mathematics Day every year on December 22 to celebrate the life and work of the eminent Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Who was Srinivasa Ramanujan?

• Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on December 22, 1887, in a Tamil Brahmin family in the city of Erode (now in Tamil Nadu).
• A highly respected mathematician, he was known as ‘The Man who knew infinity’ because of his infinite love and passion as well as contributions made to Mathematics.
• Ramanujan, a mathematical genius, was able to solve algebra and trigonometric problems that his fellow mates found difficult to crack. 
• At the age of 17, he won a scholarship to study at Kumbakonam’s Government Arts College, however, Srinivasa Ramanujan failed in some of the subjects because of his focus only on Mathematics and lost the scholarship.
  • While tutoring the students and also contributing to the journal of Indian Mathematical Society, the math wizard continued his work.
• Ramanujan started working as a clerk in Madras Port Trust where the mathematical genius was recognized by a colleague who was also a mathematician. 
  • Srinivasa Ramanujan was further referred by him to Professor GH Hardy of Trinity College, Cambridge University. 
• At the age of 26, he was invited to Cambridge University for his statements on the 120 mathematics theorems on the continued fractions, infinite series, number theory, and improper integrals. 
• In 1917, Ramanujan was elected to the London Mathematical Society and in 1918 he was elected as a fellow to the prestigious Royal Society for the research done by him on Elliptic Functions and the theory of numbers.
• In October 1917, Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan became the first Indian to be elected a fellow of Trinity College. 
• Srinivasa Ramanujan, having compiled more than 3,000 mathematical equations and results, the math wizard returned to the country in 1919 and passed away due to Tuberculosis in 1920.
• The National Mathematics Day in India is celebrated to acknowledge the work of Srinivasa Ramanujan who with his brilliance earned honour in the field which was once only for western mathematicians.