Srinivasa Ramanujan: in celebration of the centenary of his election as FRS

Abstract

Srinivasa Ramanujan, the so-called Man Who Knew Infinity, was one of the most influential, as well as most enigmatic, mathematicians in the recent history of mathematics. With a letter written to G. H. Hardy in 1913, the impoverished Hindu college dropout, self-taught in mathematics, reaching for worlds beyond the shores of India, introduced himself to the history of science. He had spent his youth sitting on cool stone floors in the neighbourhood temple, surrounded by Hindu deities, his mind wandering the world of mathematics. After absorbing the mysterious equations in the letter, Hardy invited Ramanujan to study in England, an extraordinary offer for an Indian under colonial rule. Together they innovated vast tracts of mathematics, before Ramanujan returned to India in fragile health. Tragically, he died at 32 from a misdiagnosed illness, leaving behind three enigmatic notebooks. Ramanujan’s notebooks and research papers have continued to inspire developments in modern mathematics and physics. His formulae and observations now play central roles in fields extending well beyond the realm of pure mathematics. For these reasons, we felt the need to honour the legacy of this great man. To celebrate the centenary of Srinivasa Ramanujan’s election as a Fellow of the Royal Society,1 we organized a public discussion meeting at which leading scientists spoke about Ramanujan’s legacy to mathematics and science. This meeting was held on 15–16 October 2018 at Carlton House. Fifteen distinguished scientists spoke about Ramanujan’s mathematics and his extraordinary legacy across Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Physics. They were: