Mathematics Day – December 22

Srinivasa Ramanujan, the legendary Indian mathematician, is the inspiration behind the celebration of Mathematics Day in India. Born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, to an Iyengar Brahmin family, Ramanujan showed extraordinary mathematical talent from a very young age. Despite having minimal formal schooling, he developed a deep understanding of trigonometry and crafted numerous theorems by the time he was just 12 years old.

Ramanujan's journey to becoming one of the greatest mathematicians in history was not without challenges. After completing his secondary education in 1904, he applied for a scholarship to study at the Government Arts College in Kumbakonam. However, his lack of performance in subjects outside of mathematics led to his rejection. Undeterred, at 14, Ramanujan ran away from home and enrolled at Pachaiyappa’s College in Madras. Here, his brilliance in mathematics was evident, but his lack of interest in other subjects led to him being unable to complete a formal degree.

Living in extreme poverty, Ramanujan continued his independent research in mathematics. His work soon caught the attention of the local mathematical community in Chennai. In 1912, with the support of Ramaswamy Iyer, the founder of the Indian Mathematical Society, Ramanujan secured a clerk position at the Madras Port Trust, which provided him with a steady income to focus on his research. He began sending his groundbreaking work to British mathematicians, and in 1913, he received an invitation from G.H. Hardy, a leading mathematician at Cambridge University, who was fascinated by Ramanujan's theorems.

In 1914, Ramanujan traveled to England to work with Hardy at Cambridge University, where he became a fellow of Trinity College. His mathematical genius flourished, and in 1917, he was elected as a member of the London Mathematical Society. The following year, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, making him one of the youngest to receive such an honor.

However, Ramanujan's health began to suffer in the harsh English climate. Unable to adapt to the diet and the cold weather, he returned to India in 1919. Despite his deteriorating health, his contributions to mathematics continued to be celebrated worldwide. Ramanujan passed away at the young age of 32 in 1920, leaving behind three notebooks filled with unpublished results, which would later become the subject of much research by mathematicians worldwide.

In 2012, in honor of his immense contributions to mathematics, the Government of India declared December 22—Ramanujan's birthday—as National Mathematics Day. The day serves as a tribute to his legacy and promotes the study and appreciation of mathematics across the country.