THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY (English)
“Why should you read this summary?
Srinivasa Ramanujan is one of the greatest mathematicians in the past century. . Several important concepts of mathematics were named after him. From the Port of Madras to Trinity College in Cambridge, he proved that India was home to an extraordinary and unforgettable genius. This book tells the incredible life story of Ramanujan.
Who should you read this summary?
• Students who love math and also those who hate it
• Young adults, so that they may be inspired to follow their passion
• Every Indian, to remember the genius of Ramanujan
About the Author
Robert Kanigel is a writer, professor and biographer. He has written seven books and more than 400 articles. Robert has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, and many other publications. His book “The Man Who Knew Infinity” was adapted into a film in 2015, starring Dev Patel.
“”Introduction
Who was Srinivasa Ramanujan? He was a genius mathematician, the second Indian to become Fellow of the Royal Society and the first Indian to become Fellow of the Trinity College at Cambridge University, UK.In this book, you will learn more about Ramanujan.You will learn about the man behind the theorems celebrated by mathematicians all over the world. While Ramanujan was a humble man and he died at a young age, he left many great achievements for which India can be proud.
A Brahmin Boyhood
Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on December 22, 1887. His father, Srinivasa, was a clerk at a sari shop. His mother, Komalatammal, was a housewife and a singer at a local temple. Ramanujan mostly grew up in the village of Kumbakonam in South India.He was a stubborn but sensitive little boy. When Ramanujan was a toddler, he refused to eat except at the temple. If he didn’t get the food he wanted, he would roll in the mud in frustration. Young Ramanujan was quiet and reflective. He asked questions like “How far is it from here to the clouds?” or “Who was the first man in the world?” He liked to be alone and often stayed at home while other children played outside.
Ramanujan was not interested in sports or being active, and for most of his life, Ramanujan was fat. He inherited the body type of his mother. He used to say that if he got into a fight with another kid, all he had to do is to fall on him, and the other boy would be crushed into pieces.Ramanujan studied at Kangayan Primary School. There he learned to speak English at an early age. When he was ten years old, he passed the national primary examinations. Ramanujan scored number one in the district.After that, he enrolled in Town High School, where Ramanujan studied for six years. It was his most satisfying academic experience. He aced all his subjects, especially mathematics.
One day, the math teacher lectured that if you divide any number by itself, the answer would always be one. If there are one thousand fruits and they are divided into one thousand people, each of them will get one fruit each.Ramanujan suddenly spoke, “But if you divide zero by zero, is the answer still one? If you divide no fruits among no one, will each still get one?” This is just one example of the mathematical mind of Ramanujan.Ramanujan’s family was always short on finances, which was why they accepted borders in their home. When he was eleven, two Brahmin boys lived with his family as boarders. They were students at the nearby Government College.
The college students noticed that Ramanujan was interested in mathematics, so they taught him what they knew. But within a few short months, Ramanujan had exhausted all their knowledge. He always asked them for more math books from the college library.One time, the college boys gave him a book in advanced trigonometry. By thirteen years old, Ramanujan had already mastered it. He also learned cubic equations and the complex concepts of infinite series. He was fascinated by the numerical values of π and e.
Ramanujan became a minor celebrity at school.His teachers and fellow students rarely understood him, but most of them treated him with respect. Ramanujan received many certificates and recognition for his academic excellence.At Ramanujan’s graduation ceremony, the school headmaster awarded him the highest prize for mathematics. He introduced Ramanujan to the audience and explained that the boy deserved much more than 100% or an A-plus grade and that his math skills were off the scale.
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