“I don’t think about this the same way you do!” Ramanujan rages at Hardy during one argument over the need for proof, before later explaining, “an equation has no meaning to me unless it expresses a thought of god.”īut it wasn’t really Ramanujan’s religion that set him at odds with the mathematical establishment, merely his lack of training in their traditions. Perhaps it’s because it serves as the spine of the film, highlighting his unlikely pairing with staunch atheist Hardy. It may be that I’m over-familiar with Ramanujan’s story, having read both The Man Who Knew Infinity and Hardy’s memoir A Mathematician’s Apology numerous times, but I was exasperated that this religious element was held as the big reveal of the film, when Ramanujan’s actions already made it obvious that he was a deeply spiritual man. Ramanujan, it turns out, was a rare genius who could simply intuit dense mathematical concepts, although he credited his family goddess Namagiri for his ideas and claimed she appeared to him in dreams.
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Without proofs for many of his equations, mathematicians today are still working to understand some of his work.Īn audio recording of the talk is available on our website.More interesting is the mathematical clash of cultures he encountered – his notebooks full of equations lacked the rigorous proof demanded by Cambridge dons, and he struggled to understand why such arduous steps were necessary. In their lecture they discussed the role Ramanujan played in driving forward the field of number theory, highlighting key discoveries over the last 100 years which would not have been possible without his work. Both are distinguished researchers in number theory, an area of mathematics which builds, in part, on the work of Ramanujan, and consulted on the film. In addition to the screening, the Society were delighted to host a lecture from Professor Ken Ono, from Emory University, and Professor Manjul Bhargava, Princeton University. His contributions to mathematics continue to be appreciated and the improbable story of his rise to the top will serve as inspiration to generations of mathematicians to come. Ultimately, Ramanujan was able to prove himself more than worthy of recognition by his peers, and he became a Fellow of both Trinity College and the Royal Society. As well as the rigours of establishment mathematics, Ramanujan battles with racism, an unfamiliar diet and a pining for his deserted wife, all of which conspire to exacerbate his declining health. This often trying relationship is set against the background of World War I Britain, and Ramanujan’s time in England is one not easily spent. Hardy invited Ramanujan to Cambridge, where he encouraged him to derive proofs of his work – not always easy in the face of Ramanujan’s purely intuitive grasp of equations, which he believed were expressions of God.
Hardy, also a Fellow, of his raw talent for numbers.
The film tells of how Ramanujan, a self-taught mathematician from southern India, was able to convince the eminent English mathematician, G.H.
Patel called the film a ‘labour of love over 10 years in the making… an intellectual piece about two men coming together for their art.’ Alongside Venki at the screening was actor Dev Patel, who plays the plucky Ramanujan. Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, our recently elected President, himself Indian born, introduced the film, and describes Ramanujan as ‘a legend to all Indians’. Ahead of its release, we partnered with Warner Brothers to hold an exclusive screening of the film and invited some special guests. The Man Who Knew Infinity, which first appeared in UK cinemas last week, charts the incredible story of Srinivasa Ramanujan FRS, one of the youngest Fellows ever to be elected to the Royal Society.
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