Good morning to all
“An equation means nothing to me unless it expresses a thought of God.”
The mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan Aiyangar (1887-1920) was renowned for his contributions to mathematics. Outstanding contributions to mathematics, number theory, and continuous fractions were made by him. His father, Kuppuswamy Srinivasa Iyengar, was from Thanjavur district, and his mother, Komalatammal, was a housewife.
It is more important how you live than how long you live. Even though he only lived 32 years, he independently compiled 3,900 records. The first Indian to be elected as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and the second Indian Fellow of the Royal Society, he was among the youngest Fellows of the Royal Society.
In mathematics, G.H.Hardy (1877-1947) is well known for his work in number theory and mathematical analysis. One glance at Ramanujan’s original letters, renowned mathematician Hardy argued, was enough to prove that they were written by a mathematician of the highest caliber. A few times, he compared Ramanujan to Euler and Jacobi, two mathematical geniuses.
But, Ramanujan credited his substantial mathematical abilities to divinity, and he claimed that the knowledge he displayed was given to him by the goddess Namagiri Thayar. He once said, “An equation for me has no meaning unless it expresses a thought of God.”
In light of this, I would like to add the thoughts of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan regarding education. In his opinion, education should produce creative individuals who are capable of contending with historical circumstances as well as natural factors. In his own words: “The end product of education should be a free creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and adversities of nature.”
Srinivasa Ramanujan was an incredibly creative person. In the field of mathematics, his contributions are seamless. Due to a variety of reasons, the students in front of us are facing many challenges, especially during this time of the pandemic. There must be a Ramanujan among them, with a lot of imagination and creativity. They are helping to create new pages in history if any mentor can identify them.
Ramanujan, born with mathematical talent and self-taught, wrote to Hardy, who was a Cambridge University professor while working as a shipping clerk in Madras. Seeing Ramanujan’s work, Hardy invited him to Cambridge University, where he became Ramanujan’s mentor and close friend.
The two collaborated on a variety of math problems. In spite of this, Hardy may have been most notable for adopting and mentoring Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. Mentoring and identifying are two of the most important aspects of learning.
Hardy’s legacy lasted for nearly 27 years after Ramanujan’s death in 1920. Hardy later recalled that Ramanujan’s discovery was one of his greatest contributions to mathematics, and described their collaboration as “the one romantic incident of my life.”
We need to guide our future generations with clarity, purity, and a clear vision as mentors. Therefore, S. Radhakrishnan emphasised that teachers need to be among the best minds in the country. In adverse circumstances as well as in good times, let’s strive and devote ourselves to making history.
Have a blessed day.
Rev. Fr. Dr. PS Varghese
Principal
MGM College
Midland, Dimapur.
