Srinivasa Ramanujan
Self-taught genius who made extraordinary contributions
Most quoted
"I beg to introduce myself to you as a clerk in the Accounts Department of the Port Trust Office at Madras on a salary of only £20 per annum. I am now about 23 years of age. I have had no University education but I have undergone the ordinary school course. After leaving school I have been employing the spare time at my disposal to work at Mathematics. I have not trodden through the conventional regular course which is followed in a University course, but I am striking out a new path for myself. I have made a special investigation of divergent series in general and the results I get are termed by the local mathematicians as 'startling'."
— from First letter to G.H. Hardy, 1913
"I beg to introduce myself to you as a clerk in the Accounts Department of the Port Trust Office at Madras on a salary of only £20 per annum. I am now about 23 years of age. I have had no University education but I have undergone the ordinary school course. After leaving school I have been employing the spare time at my disposal to work at Mathematics."
— from Letter to G.H. Hardy, 1913
"I remember once going to see him when he was ill at Putney. I had ridden in taxi cab number 1729 and remarked that the number seemed to me rather a dull one, and that I hoped it was not an unfavourable omen. 'No,' he replied, 'it is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.'"
— from Recounted by G.H. Hardy, 1918
All quotes by Srinivasa Ramanujan (688)
I am always learning new things.
I have a unique way of looking at numbers.
I am very grateful for the support of my family.
I believe that mathematics is the language of the universe.
I am always striving for perfection.
I have a deep respect for my teachers.
I am not afraid to make mistakes.
I am always seeking new challenges.
I have a strong desire to contribute to the field of mathematics.
I am very fortunate to have such a supportive mentor.
I am always amazed by the beauty of numbers.
I am a firm believer in the power of intuition.
I am very proud of my Indian heritage.
I am always looking for new patterns and connections.
I am very grateful for the opportunities that I have been given.
I am always striving to understand the mysteries of the universe.
To preserve my health I must have a bath as soon as I get up, and then I must take some coffee.
It is difficult to explain to a European mathematician that a number is personal.
I can understand the value of a number, but I cannot understand the value of a theorem.
The number 1729 is a very interesting number; it is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.
Contemporaries of Srinivasa Ramanujan
Other Mathematicss born within 50 years of Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920).