Why do we celebrate National Mathematics Day on December 22?

Pratidin Bureau

To honor the great mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan's birth anniversary, National Mathematics Day is observed every year on December 22.

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On December 22, 1887, Srinivasa Ramanujan was born into a Brahmin Iyengar family in Erode, Tamil Nadu. In 1903, he attended the Kumbakonam Government College for his studies. Ramanujan began working as a clerk for the Madras Port Trust in 1912. Ramanujan earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in 1916.

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Among his many important contributions are the hypergeometric series, the Riemann series, the elliptic integrals, the theory of divergent series, and the functional equations of the zeta function. He is thought to have gathered 3,900 results on his own and created his own theorems.

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In 1917, Ramanujan was chosen to join the London Mathematical Society. In recognition of his work on Elliptic Functions and number theory, he was elected to the prestigious Royal Society the following year. Additionally, he was the first Indian to be chosen as a Fellow of Trinity College.

National Mathematics Day | Pratidin Time

In a movie with the same name that was released in 2015, Ramanujan was portrayed by British-Indian actor Dev Patel. Ramanujan's early years in India, his time in Britain, and his path to become the renowned mathematician were all explored in the movie.

National Mathematics Day | Pratidin Time

Ramanujan went back to India in 1919. He passed away on April 26 of the following year as a result of his failing health. Just 32 years old, he was. His life and rise to popularity are portrayed in Robert Kanigel's biography, "The Man Who Knew Infinity."

National Mathematics Day | Pratidin Time