National Mathematics Day

Evolution of Mathematics and Growth of Humanity

Mathematics is the cradle of all creation. As one learns to speak and write, so is addition and subtraction. Interestingly Mathematics is the common language of the planet, whichever way one writes. India had a rich tradition of mathematical brilliance. Ramanujan was undoubtedly among the world’s greatest mathematicians in the 20^th century. National Mathematics Day is celebrated every year on December 22 to recognise the achievements of Srinivasa Ramanujan. It is on this day in 1887 he was born. The observation of the day started in 2012. Celebrating the 125^th birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the then PM Manmohan Singh declared it National Mathematics Day. Celebrating the brilliance of people like Ramanujan motivates one to pursue the path to achieve excellence. The life of Ramanujan also has another lesson to be learnt. Starting his career as a clerk and moving on to pursue his passion, and becoming one of the all-time greats in the field of mathematics is remarkable. Wherever you start, do not lose focus on your love. Celebrating brilliance is a way of motivating others to pursue the path to achieve excellence. It is one of his colleagues at the port trust where he worked led to getting connected to Prof Hardy. Sometimes small gestures and actions lead to more extraordinary achievements. Sound mathematical knowledge is essential to progress in all domains of learning. It is a day to recall the contributions of this great soul, Srinivasa Ramanujan

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms, and it is about understanding
William Paul Thurston

Mathematics is the cradle of all creation. As one learns to speak and write, so is addition and subtraction. Interestingly Mathematics is the common language of the planet, whichever way one writes. Britannica says, “mathematics is the science of structure, order, and relation that has evolved from elemental practices of counting, measuring, and describing the shapes of objects. It deals with logical reasoning and quantitative calculation, and its development has involved an increasing degree of idealisation and abstraction of its subject matter”. Wikipedia says, “it is the study of quantity, structure, space and change”. Mathematics is an essential part of humankind’s cultural heritage. It is present in arts, music, and games for human enjoyment and well-being.

India had a rich tradition of mathematical brilliance. Contributions of Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, Bhaskara, and Varahamira are well known. In more recent times, the contributions of Satyendra Nath Bose, CR Rao, PC Mahalanobis and Manjul Bhargava (the first person of Indian origin to win a Fields Medal). Ramanujan was undoubtedly among the world’s greatest mathematicians in the 20^th century. National Mathematics Day is celebrated every year on December 22 to recognise the achievements of Srinivasa Ramanujan. It is on this day in 1887 he was born. The observation of the day started in 2012. Celebrating the 125^th birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the then PM Manmohan Singh declared it National Mathematics Day.

The life of Srinivasa Ramanujan has many lessons to be learnt. It was a struggle to get recognition for his extraordinary ability in mathematics. People like Ramaswamy Aiyer (founder of the Indian Mathematical Society), Prof Saldhana (a notable Bombay mathematician), and C. V. Rajagopalachari, all played an essential role in nurturing and ensuring that he continued his pursuit of exploring mathematics. Finally, he landed at Trinity College, Cambridge and worked with Prof Hardy. Srinivasa Ramanujan made tremendous progress, received a bachelor’s degree in 1916, was elected to the London Mathematical Society in 1917, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his research on Elliptic Functions and theory of numbers in 1918. In the same year, in October, he became the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Trinity College. Srinivasa Ramanujan attributed his knowledge to a divine gift. Hollywood came out with a film on the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Celebrating the brilliance of people like Ramanujan motivates one to pursue the path to achieve excellence. Greater global awareness of mathematical sciences is vital to developing emerging areas like Artificial Intelligence and understanding climate change. Mathematics helps to optimise transportation and communication networks and enables thoughtful planning and management of health, economic, and social systems.

The life of Ramanujan also has another lesson to be learnt. Starting his career as a clerk and moving on to pursue his passion, and becoming one of the all-time greats in the field of mathematics is remarkable. Wherever you start, do not lose focus on your love. Celebrating brilliance is a way of motivating others to pursue the path to achieve excellence. It is one of his colleagues at the port trust where he worked led to getting connected to Prof Hardy. Sometimes small gestures and actions lead to more extraordinary achievements. Sound mathematical knowledge is essential to progress in all domains of learning. It is a day to recall the contributions of this great soul, Srinivasa Ramanujan.