Ramanujan's Place in the World of Mathematics: Essays Providing a Comparative Study

Description

The First Edition of the book is a collection of articles, all by the author, on the Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan as well as on some of the greatest mathematicians in history whose life and works have things in common with Ramanujan. It presents a unique comparative study of Ramanujan’s spectacular discoveries and remarkable life with the monumental contributions of various mathematical luminaries, some of whom, like Ramanujan, overcame great difficulties in life. Also, among the articles are reviews of three important books on Ramanujan’s mathematics and life. In addition, some aspects of Ramanujan’s contributions, such as his remarkable formulae for the number pi, his path-breaking work in the theory of partitions, and his fundamental observations on quadratic forms, are discussed. Finally, the book describes various current efforts to ensure that the legacy of Ramanujan will be preserved and continue to thrive in the future. This Second Edition is an expanded version of the first with six more articles by the author. Of note is the inclusion of a detailed review of the movie The Man Who Knew Infinity, a description of the fundamental work of the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize Winners, and an account of the Royal Society Conference to honour Ramanujan’s legacy on the centenary of his election as FRS. Foreword Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Acknowledgements Photo Credits Permissions for Articles Contents Part I Ramanujan and Other Mathematical Luminaries 1 Ramanujan: An Estimation 2 Ramanujan: The Second Century 3 L.J. Rogers: A Contemporary of Ramanujan 4 P.A. MacMahon: Ramanujan's Distinguished Contemporary 5 Fermat and Ramanujan: A Comparison 6 J.J. Sylvester: Ramanujan's Illustrious Predecessor 7 Erdös and Ramanujan: Legends of Twentieth Century Mathematics 8 C.G.J. Jacobi: Algorist par-excellence 9 Evariste Galois: Founder of Group Theory 10 Leonhard Euler: Most Prolific Mathematician in History 11 G.H. Hardy: Ramanujan's Mentor 12 J.E. Littlewood: Ramanujan's Contemporary and Hardy's Collaborator 13 Niels Henrik Abel: Norwegian Mathematical Genius 14 Issai Schur: Ramanujan's German Contemporary 15 Robert Rankin: Scottish Link with Ramanujan 16 G. N. Watson: First to Investigate the Mock Theta Functions Part II Some Aspects of Ramanujan's Mathematics 17 Ramanujan and π 18 Ramanujan and Partitions 19 Major Progress on a Problem of Ramanujan Part III Reviews of Books and Stage Productions 20 Genius Whom the Gods Loved—A Review of ``Srinivasa Ramanujan: The Lost Notebook and Other Unpublished Papers'' 21 The Discovery and Rediscovery of Mathematical Genius—A Review of ``The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan'' 22 A Review of ``Ramanujan: Letters and Commentary'' References 23 A Review of ``Ramanujan: Essays and Surveys'' References 24 A Review of ``Partition: A Play on Ramanujan'' 25 Review of the Movie on the Mathematical Genius Ramanujan The Man Who Knew Infinity Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920) The Book, ``The Man Who Knew Infinity'' The Movie, ``The Man Who Knew Infinity'' References Part IV Preserving Ramanujan's Legacy 26 The Ramanujan Journal: Its Conception, Need and Place 27 A Pilgrimage to Ramanujan's Hometown 28 The First SASTRA Ramanujan Prizes 29 Ramanujan's Growing Influence 30 The Sastra Ramanujan Prize: Its Origins and Its Winners The Origins The Winners 31 Srinivasa Ramanujan: Going Strong at 125 Ramanujan's Thriving Legacy Some Major Research Advances Books on Ramanujan's Life and Work Journals Bearing Ramanujan's Name Annual Conferences in Ramanujan's Hometown Prizes Bearing Ramanujan's Name Movies and Plays About Ramanujan Events in 2011–2012 References 32 Ramanujan in Mauritius 33 Royal Society Conference and Publication for the Centenary of Srinivasa Ramanujan's Election as FRS Index