Mathematics Day

Mathematics Day is in India in honor of the great mathematician and genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. The date was chosen to commemorate his birth on December 22, 1887. His life was brief yet brilliant – read on to discover more about it.

History

Srinivasa was born in a village located 400 km away from present-day Chennai. His family was not well off; his father and mother were from the Brahmin caste, which was the name of teachers and priests. From an early age, the boy showed remarkable intelligence and at the age of 7 he was given a scholarship to Kumbakonam school. He astounded his teachers with his remarkable ability to memorize numbers. At the age of 17, he graduated from high school and was recognized as a prodigy.

In Madras, he attended various colleges and studied mathematics on his own, engaging in interesting research along the way. At 21, Srinivasa got married and found a job as an accountant at a port. It wasn’t his ideal occupation, as he wanted to make enough money to provide for his family and dedicate all his time to his favorite subject. On the advice of friends, he wrote letters to various mathematicians; only Godfrey Harold Hardy from England responded.

In 1913, Ramanujan left for England – Godfrey got him a grant to study at Cambridge. The genius studied for 5 years, wrote 21 articles, and discovered 4000 theorems. In 1917, he was diagnosed with the first signs of tuberculosis. He was treated intensively but in 1920 he passed away. The national day is dedicated to his genius and the amazing work he accomplished in such a short time.

Interesting facts

• His mother was hesitant to let her son go to England, but she had a dream where a goddess told her not to interfere, as Srinivasa would become a respected person.
• Godfrey admitted that he learned more from his ward than he taught him.
• Ramanujan did not consume any animal products.

How to take part

To take part in Mathematics Day, learn more about the great mathematician: watch documentaries and read his works. Share information about his life on social media so that others can pay tribute to him on this day. Even if you don’t usually enjoy mathematics, you can still find something exciting about it!

When is Mathematics Day in 2024?

Mathematics Day is observed on December 22 each year.

Observations