Every year on December 22, 2023, we celebrate National Mathematics Day.
Legendary mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on this day in 1886. Since we use mathematics in our daily lives, it is much more meaningful to celebrate this day.
In commemoration of Ramanujan’s life and contributions to mathematics, then-prime minister Manmohan Singh proclaimed December 22 to be National Mathematics Day in 2012. This marked the start of the observance of this day.
National Mathematics Day 2023: Events in chronological order
Learn about the life and contributions of Srinivasa Ramanujan by looking through this timeline.
1887: On this day in Tamil Nadu’s Erode, the renowned mathematician was born into an Iyengar Brahmin family. He has always enjoyed math, and at the age of twelve, he became an expert in trigonometry. Additionally, he qualified for a scholarship at Kumbakonam’s Government Arts College.
- In 1912, Srinivasa Ramanujan began working for Madras Port Trust as a clerk. Some of his coworkers there saw his aptitude for mathematics, and one of them recommended him to Professor GH Hardy of Trinity College, Cambridge University. After meeting Hardy in 1913, he enrolled at Trinity College.
- 1916: Ramanujan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science in this year. After that, with Hardy’s assistance, he produced more publications on his topic.
- Ramanujan received an election to the London Mathematical Society in 1917.
- 1918: The esteemed mathematician’s work on elliptic functions and number theory earned him election to the Royal Society. In addition, he was the first Indian to be chosen as a Trinity College Fellow.
- Ramanujan went back to India in 1919.
- 1920: Due to his failing health, he passed away on April 26. His age was only thirty-two.
Despite having no academic experience in pure mathematics, Srinivasa Ramanujan made significant contributions to the area. Infinite series, continuous fractions, number theory, and mathematical analysis are among his research topics. In addition, he made significant contributions to the theory of divergent series, elliptic integrals, Riemann series, hypergeometric series, and the functional equations of the zeta function. It is said that he independently accumulated 3,900 results and found his own theorems.
