Long Essay on Srinivasa Ramanujan 500 words

Srinivasa Ramanujan was one of the greatest mathematicians in the history of India and the world. His life is a rare story of natural genius, deep faith in knowledge, and silent struggle against poverty and illness. He was born on 22 December 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, into a poor Brahmin family. His father worked as a clerk in a cloth shop, and his mother was a deeply religious woman who encouraged discipline, prayer, and learning at home. Though the family had limited income, Ramanujan’s childhood was rich in curiosity and imagination.

From an early age, Ramanujan showed extraordinary interest in numbers. Mathematics was not just a subject for him but a passion. He enjoyed solving problems in his own way and often arrived at results without following standard methods. At school, his teachers quickly noticed his brilliance in mathematics. He later joined Government College at Kumbakonam and then Madras, where he performed exceptionally well in mathematics. However, he failed in other subjects because he devoted all his time to numbers. As a result, he lost his scholarship and could not complete his formal education.

This failure pushed Ramanujan into poverty. He lived a difficult life and depended on small jobs and support from friends. Despite this, he never gave up mathematics. He spent long hours thinking and writing formulas on loose papers and notebooks. These notebooks contained thousands of results, many written without proofs. Yet, most of them were correct and highly original. His work covered areas such as number theory, algebra, infinite series, continued fractions, and partitions.

One of Ramanujan’s most important contributions was in number theory. He discovered deep properties of numbers that were unknown at the time. His work on partitions explained how numbers can be broken into sums in different ways. He also developed powerful infinite series that helped in calculating the value of π (pi) very accurately. Some of these formulas are still used today in advanced mathematics and computer calculations.

Ramanujan is also famous for the number 1729, now called the “Ramanujan number.” It is the smallest number that can be expressed as the sum of two cubes in two different ways. This simple-looking idea reflects the depth of his thinking. He also introduced mock theta functions, a concept that puzzled mathematicians for decades and later found importance in modern mathematical research.

In 1913, Ramanujan sent a letter with his work to Professor G.H. Hardy of Cambridge University. Hardy immediately recognized his extraordinary genius and invited him to England. At Cambridge, Ramanujan worked closely with Hardy and published several research papers. His ideas were so original that they challenged existing mathematical thinking. In recognition of his contributions, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge—rare honors for an Indian during that period.

Unfortunately, the cold climate of England, poor diet, and continuous hard work damaged his health. He suffered from serious illness and returned to India in 1919. Srinivasa Ramanujan passed away on 26 April 1920 at the young age of 32.

Though his life was short, his contribution to mathematics was immense and timeless. His story proves that true talent can shine even without wealth or formal education. Ramanujan remains a symbol of dedication, creativity, and the power of the human mind, inspiring students and scholars across the world.