The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan

The Book of Carr

Kanigel introduces a math textbook from 1886 written by George Schoobridge Carr entitled The Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics. The work was highly influential to Ramanujan, who likely first encountered the book sometime in 1903. Much of the section outlines Carr’s teaching methods and describes how the way in which equations were presented in the book fostered motivation in the students who read it. This is the first section in which Kanigel introduces mathematical concepts and presents algebraic equations.

The Cambridge of South India

In 1904, Ramanujan entered the Government College in Kumbakonam. Kanigel describes the setting and history of the college. Kanigel says that Ramanujan was so influenced by Carr’s text that he became myopic toward math at the expense of other subjects. Although he was generally considered a very promising and highly skilled mathematician, because his performance in other subjects was so poor, his scholarship to the college was revoked. Coming from such meager economic circumstances, this was a tremendous blow for Ramanujan.

Flight

After the revocation of his scholarship, Ramanujan left home for Vizagapatnam, a town on the Bay of Bengal. He left without a trace, much to the concern of his family. This dramatic disappearance was not out of character for the young Ramanujan, who had a habit of overeating when faced with public embarrassment. According to Kanigel, his fear of humiliation and the shame he felt at such moments reveal that Ramanujan was socially conformist.

Another Try

After the dust settled on Ramanujan’s flight from Kumbakonam, he reentered college, this time in Pachaiyappa. His incredible math skills gained him entry into the college; however, as at the Government College, his singular focus on mathematics was a significant problem. Ramanujan especially hated the subject of physiology. As a result, he failed the First Arts (F.A.) exam twice and was unable to advance. Without a college degree, Ramanujan had difficulty entering a career, so to make money, he tutored students. He was not an exceptional tutor, as his instruction was often above the heads of his students.

The Notebooks

As the title suggests, this section discusses the notebooks in which Ramanujan worked out theorems. This is the most math-intensive section to date, but Kanigel explains much of the math in readily understandable ways. Ramanujan’s style was unorthodox, and he generally followed his own path rather than in the footsteps of others. There is evidence in the notebooks of revision and aesthetic changes, suggesting that he intended for them to be seen. Additionally, Ramanujan worked out his theorems arithmetically—meaning he did all the calculations—which was somewhat uncommon for the kind of advanced math he was doing. This tedious work, according to Kanigel, fostered in Ramanujan an intimacy with numbers that informed much of his work.

A Thought of God

Kanigel introduces commentary by William Thackeray, an English writer and influential thinker. Thackeray argued in favor of imposing a system in India that suppressed independent thought. The educational system that Ramanujan operated in was therefore built to disincentivize people like him from succeeding. Kanigel suggests that Ramanujan's failures in the educational system created for him the kind of adversity that tested him constantly, thereby strengthening his resolve. During the years 1904-1909, Ramanujan entirely invested himself in mathematics, something that might not have occurred had he actually succeeded in college. Kanigel also discusses how Ramanujan tended toward the metaphysical in his daily life, and how this generally influenced his work in mathematics. He viewed himself as a kind of channel through which proofs of the universe made themselves known.

Enough Is Enough

The years between 1904 and 1909 are further examined in this section. Kanigel provides a detailed description of Ramanujan’s physical attributes. Although he was a large man, “there was no thick, lumbering sluggishness to Ramanujan’s bulk; if anything it was more like that of a sumo wrestler, or a Buddha, with a lightness to it, even a delicacy” (67). Also mentioned in the section are Ramanujan’s work habits, which are described as fiercely energetic. Eventually, his parents became more and more frustrated that he was doing nothing for his life in a practical sense. He was not moving toward a career or some way of making a living; instead, he was simply obsessed with math and spent most of his time in solitary study, working away at his theorems. To put an end to this, his mother started to search for a wife for her son and begin the proceedings of an arranged marriage.