REFLECTIONS

Ramanujan’s Circle
Inspirors, Patrons and Mentors

Utpal Mukhopadhyay

Ramanujan is one of the greatest mathematicians that India has ever produced. Eminent
mathematicians of the world have admitted that Ramanujan was a genius. On the path to
achieving fame, Ramanujan received generous support from various persons. In this
article, an account of the history of the nurturing of Ramanujan by persons around him
is given, along with a brief introduction to each of those generous people from India as well
as from abroad.

Introduction

The Indian mathematical prodigy Srinivas Ramanujan Iyengar (1887–1920),

commonly known as Ramanujan (not Ramanujam as written in his certificate
of Primary Examination), achieved his legendary fame largely, but not
solely, through his own talent. His great gifts were supported by the con-
certed effort of a number of personalities (mostly mathematicians) of India
and abroad. Ramanujan was born in British India in a lower middle class
family without any sophisticated background. So, in spite of his phenomenal
intuition, it is doubtful whether it would have been possible for him to
acquire so much fame in his very short lifetime without the support offered by his mentors and
well-wishers. For instance, a genius like Niels Hendrik Abel (1802–1829) remained unnoticed
during his lifetime. In this article, a historical account of the support provided by persons from
various quarters has been presented along with brief introductions of those generous persons
who lent a helping hand to Ramanujan in his tireless striving for opening up new pathways in
mathematical research.

An Unsuspected Stimulant

The first intellectual inspiration that Ramanujan received came from a ‘friend’. It was a book,
A Synopsis of Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics, written by George Shoobridge Carr
(see Box 1). This book was first published in England in 1880. Ramanujan got its 1886 edition
sometime in 1903, a few months before his matriculation examination. In this book, Carr
provided more than five thousand mathematical results from various branches of mathematics,
viz. algebra, theory of equations, plane trigonometry, spherical trigonometry, elementary
geometry, geometrical conics, differential calculus, integral calculus, differential equations

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Box 1. George Shoobridge Carr (1837–1914)

George Shoobridge Carr was born in Teignmouth and had his schooling in Jersey. He studied at Gonville and
Caius College as well as at Cambridge University for his BA degree in 1880 and MA in 1883. He was a Senior
Optime, i.e., he secured second class in mathematical Tripos Examination. The first class holders of this
examination were called Wranglers while those who stood first were known as Senior Wranglers. Carr used
to coach students preparing for Cambridge Tripos Examination and his book was prepared from his coaching
notes, carefully edited by him over fourteen long years. In fact Ramanujan has made Carr immortal in the history
of mathematics by making the fullest utilisation of his book.

The speciality of the book was the style of presentation of the results. No complete proof of any
result was given in that book; only in some cases hints were supplied. This provoked a genius
like Ramanujan to exercise his mental power for proving the results of the book in his own way
through heuristic approach. Carr himself commented – Let them be read once, but recalled
often. The difference in the effect upon the mind between reading a mathematical demonstra-
tion, and originating one wholly or partly, is very great. It may be compared to the difference
between the pleasure experienced, and interest aroused, when in the one case a traveller is
passively conducted through the roads of a novel and unexplored country, and in the other case he
discovers the roads for himself with the assistance of map. According to Kanigel [1] – One can only
guess at the effects of a book like Carr’s Synopsis on a mediocre or even normally bright student. But
in Ramanujan, it had ignited a burst of fiercely single-minded intellectual activity. After getting this
book, Ramanujan’s world changed completely and he was so much obsessed with mathematics that
he was ready to take the risk of a failure in his FA Examination which ultimately happened.
However, this book opened up the eyes of the genius and in this way played a vital role in
shaping Ramanujan’s future career.

A Quartet of Well Wishers

After Ramanujan’s failure in FA Examination in 1905 and 1907, he did his mathematical
research in his own way without any interference for five long years. Financial stringency in
terms of termination of his scholarship and other mundane difficulties could not divert his
concentration from mathematics, his greatest love of life. However, after his marriage with Janaki on
14 July 1909, a secure job became a bare necessity for Ramanujan. In search of a job he first went to
V Ramaswamy Iyer (see Box 2), the Deputy Collector of Tirukoilur, in early 1910 along with his
‘notebooks’ in which he used to write down his mathematical results. Ramanujan showed his
notebooks to Iyer who, being a mathematician himself, readily recognised the high level of
mathematics done by Ramanujan and commented – I was struck by the extraordinary mathematical
results contained in it. That he had no intention to set up any kind of bondage to hinder Ramanujan’s
progress in mathematical research is clear from his comments made afterwards – I had no mind to

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Box 2. V Ramaswamy Iyer (1871–1936)

Ramaswamy Iyer was born at Satyamangalam in the then Coimbatore. After completing his
FA course in a local college, he obtained his graduate and postgraduate degrees in
mathematics from Presidency College, Madras. He served initially at Central College,
Bangalore and afterwards he was appointed to Maharaja’s College, Mysore for assisting
Principal Weir in teaching of mathematics. Then he joined Madras Provincial Service in
1898 and in 1901 he was appointed as Deputy Collector. His mathematical articles or works
were published in Education Times and other journals of mathematics. Ramaswamy Iyer
founded the Indian Mathematical Society on 4 April 1907 and acted as its Founder Secretary
till 1910.

smother his genius by an appointment in the lowest rungs of the revenue department. However he
helped Ramanujan by handing him a letter and advised him to see P V Seshu Iyer for fulfilling his
need.

Seshu Iyer was Ramanujan’s teacher at Government College, Kumbhakonam. At that time
Seshu Iyer did not disturb Ramanujan, when in his class the latter was deeply involved in
mathematical calculations of his own. Even Iyer inspired Ramanujan to solve mathematical
problems published in London Mathematical Gazette. Ramanujan met Seshu Iyer, then a
Professor at Presidency College, Madras (now Chennai), after a lapse of four years and showed
him the letter of recommendation of Ramaswamy Iyer and approached for a job. Seshu Iyer
handed over a note of introduction to Ramanujan and advised him to see Dewan Bahadur
Ramachandra Rao, the Collector of Nellore.

In December 1910, Ramanujan, accompanied by his friend R Krishna Rao (a nephew of

Ramachandra Rao) went to meet Dewan Bahadur who was initially skeptical about Ramanujan’s
talent. In fact Ramanujan had to meet him four times, the last time against Dewan Bahadur’s
permission. When Ramanujan showed Dewan Bahadur a letter of Professor Saldhana, an
eminent mathematician of Bombay, as well as some of his mathematical results, Rao’s doubt
was dispelled. Later, Dewan Bahadur Ramachandra
Rao wrote about this final meeting in the words – These
transcended existing books and I had no doubt that he
was a remarkable man. Then, step by step he led me to
elliptic integrals, and hypergeometric series. At last,
his theory of divergent series, not yet announced to the
world, converted me. Asked him what he wanted. When
Dewan Bahadur Professor P V Seshu
Ramanujan replied that he wanted nothing but simple
Ramachandra Rao, Iyer, Maths Professor
Collector of Nellore. at Kumbakonam. food and sufficient leisure for uninterrupted mathemati-
cal research, then just like Ramaswamy Iyer, Dewan

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Box 3. S Narayan Iyer (1874–1937)

Narayan Iyer was born on 15 December, 1874 at Cumbum near Madurai in Tamilnadu.
He came out his examinations with flying colours. After obtaining M A degree in
mathematics from St. Joseph’s College in Trichinpally, he was appointed as a college
teacher. During his tenure in teaching profession, he became acquainted with Sir
Francis Spring who was then serving as a railway officer. Spring was very much
pleased with Narayan Iyer’s mathematical knowledge. After accepting the position of
a Chairman of Madras Port Trust, Spring invited Narayan Iyer to Port Trust for
working as his Office Manager which Iyer accepted. Afterwards, Iyer was promoted
to the Chief Accountant. Being pleased with Narayan Iyer’s efficiency, Govt. of India conferred the title ‘Rao
Bahadur’ on him.

Bahadur also thought that Ramanujan should not be bogged down by offering him a job at
‘taluk’ office. So he once again sent him to Seshu Iyer with the advice that Ramanujan should
stay at Madras and that he would shoulder the expenses for his stay. Since then, Ramanujan
received an amount of 25 rupees per month from Dewan Bahadur for about a year. At that time
Ramachandra Rao was wise enough to advise Ramanujan to make copies of his notebooks so
that they did not get lost.

Then through one of his well-wishers, Ramanujan got a temporary job at the Office of the
Accountant General of Madras and worked there for a few weeks. When his job was terminated
after a few weeks, Ramachandra Rao sent him to S Narayan Iyer (see Box 3), the Chief
Accountant of Madras Port Trust. Narayan Iyer was himself a very good mathematician and the
then Treasurer of Indian Mathematical Society. So, he could rightly judge that Ramanujan was
a genius. Since then Narayan Iyer became one of Ramanujan’s mentors. On his advice, on 9
February 1912 Ramanujan submitted an application to Madras Port Trust for a job with a letter
of recommendation from E W Middlemast (see Box 4), a Professor of Madras Presidency
College. This letter of recommendation was a result of Ramanujan’s meeting with Middlemast.

Box 4. Edgar William Middlemast

E W Middlemast, son of Edward William Middlemast and Margaret, was born in

Northumberland on 9 December, 1864. After his schooling at the Royal Grammar School,
he studied in St. John’s College, Cambridge during 1882–1886. He was the tenth Wrangler
in the Mathematical Tripos, Part I in 1886. From 1888 to 1897 he served as a Professor
in Madras Engineering College. Then he was appointed as Principal of Rajmundry College
and in 1903 he became the Deputy Director of Public Instruction in Madras Presidency.
In 1910, he was appointed as Professor of Mathematics in Madras Presidency College.
Middlemast was the President of the Indian Mathematical Society for the year 1915.

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Box 5. Sir Francis Joseph Edward Spring (1849–1933)

Sir Francis Spring, son of Rev. Edward Spring and Matilda, was born on 20 January in
Magourney in UK of Great Britain and Ireland. After obtaining higher education at
Middleton College and Trinity College in Dublin, he joined the Indian Engineering Service
in 1870. As a Consulting Engineer to the Govt. of India, he was instrumental in the
development of railways in India. Afterwards, Spring was appointed as Chairman of Madras
Port Trust. During his Chairmanship, Ramanujan served as a Clerk in Madras Port Trust
during 1912 to 1914. Spring was conferred with ‘Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire’ in 1894 and
‘Knight Commander of the Indian Empire’ in 1911.

On 1 March, 1912 Ramanujan secured his coveted job when he was appointed as a Class III,
Grade IV clerk in the Accounts Section of the Madras Port Trust.

Sir Francis Spring

Ever since Ramanujan’s appointment in Madras Port Trust, Narayan Iyer took over the role as
one of his mentors. After making arrangements for financial security to Ramanujan, he began
to provide intellectual support to him by working with him on mathematics after regular office
hours. Moreover, he introduced Ramanujan to Sir Francis Spring (see Box 5), the then Chairman
of Madras Port Trust and asked for his support. In fact in some of the papers within his file,
Spring found some results on elliptic integrals. After enquiring Narayan Iyer about it, he came
to know that these results were due to Ramanujan. It will be shown later how Francis Spring also
played the role of a patron in the life of Ramanujan. In the meantime, after getting a job in the
Madras Port Trust, Ramanujan began to pursue his mathematical research more vigorously and
went on discovering many new results. On the other hand, Sir Francis was trying to judge the
real depth of Ramanujan’s work and sought the advice of A G Bourne, Director of Public
Instruction in this regard. Bourne suggested two names; one was W Graham, the Accountant
General of Madras who did not give his opinion clearly. In the meantime, at the request of
Dewan Bahadur Ramachandra Rao, Professor C L T Griffith of Madras Engineering College
sought the help of his teacher Professor M J M Hill of London.

The First Real Judge

Hill wrote his first letter on 12 November, 1912 which Griffith received in the middle of
December. In that letter, Hill critically analyzed Ramanujan’s mathematical results and pointed
out some loopholes in Ramanujan’s argument and advised him to go through the book Theory
of Infinite Series by Bromwich. He also suggested a careful preparation of manuscripts before
communicating them for publication. However, decisive comments regarding Ramanujan’s
originality came from the second letter of Hill (written on 3 December, 1912) in which he wrote

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to Griffith – He has in fact observed certain properties of the earlier Bernoulli numbers and
assumed them to be true of them all without proof. For [this and other] reasons, I feel sure that
the London Mathematical Society would not have accepted the paper for their Proceedings.
But, afterwards, with respect to certain vital points undermining Ramanujan’s work, Hill made
the significant comment – When I was a student in Cambridge, 1876–9, these things were not
properly understood and the modern theory has only recently been established on a firm basis.
Many illustrious mathematicians of early days stumbled over these difficulties, and so it is not
surprising that Mr. Ramanujan, working by himself, has obtained erroneous results. I hope he
will not be discouraged. Thus, Hill for the first time judged Ramanujan’s work from the
viewpoint of a mathematician without being guided by any kind of emotion. However, these
letters failed to satisfy the well-wishers of Ramanujan. Some of them, viz., Singaravelu
Mudaliar, Ramanujan’s ex-professor at Pachaiyappa’s College, Bhavaniswami Rao, one of
Ramanujan’s professors at Kumbakonam College, Ramanujan’s friend Narasimha and mentor
Narayan Iyer advised him to send letters to other European mathematicians for their comments.

On the Way to a Historic Collaboration

In late 1912 and the early months of 1913, Ramanujan tried to communicate with reputed
European mathematicians. First of all he wrote to H F Baker (1866–1956), a Fellow of
Royal Society (FRS) and past President of the London Mathematical Society. But no
response came from Baker. Then Ramanujan sent a letter to E W Hobson (1856–1933),
another FRS as well as Cambridge’s Sadleirian Professor of pure mathematics during
1910–1931. Hobson also remained silent.

When one day Ramanujan showed some of his results on prime numbers, Seshu Iyer advised

Box 6. Godfrey Harold Hardy (1877–1947)

G. H. Hardy was born on 7 February in Cranleigh of Surrey in England. After

completing his school education, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1896. He
was the fourth Wrangler in Mathematical Tripos Examination. His doctoral supervisors
were A E H Love and E T Whittaker. Hardy brought rigour in British mathematics which
was earlier a characteristic of French, Swiss and German mathematics. In 1906 he was
appointed as ‘Cayley Professor’ of mathematics. In 1910, he became an FRS. From
1911, he collaborated with J E Littlewood (1885–1977) in mathematical research. He
passed away on 1 December, 1947 on the very day in which he was scheduled to receive
‘Copley Medal’, the highest award of the Royal Society. After his demise, one of his doctoral students Edward
Titchmarsh wote in an obituary – He was an extremely kind-hearted man, who could not bear any of his pupils
to fail in their research.

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Box 7. Ramanujan’s First Letter to G H Hardy

16 January 1913
Madras
Dear Sir,

I beg to introduce myself to you as a clerk in the Accounts Department of the Madras Port Trust Office at Madras
on a salary of only £ 20 per annum. I am now at 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 on
divergent series in general and the results I get are termed by the local mathematicians as “startling”.

Just as in elementary mathematics you give a meaning to an when n is negative and fractional to conform the
law which holds when n is a positive integer, similarly the whole of my investigations proceed on giving a
meaning to Eulerian Second Integral for all values of n. My friends who have gone through the regular course
of University education tell me that = *(n) is true only when n is positive. They say that this
integral relation is not true when n is negative. Supposing this is true only for positive values of n and also
supposing the definition n*(n) = *(n+1) to be universally true, I have given meanings to these integrals and
under the conditions I state the integral is true for all values of n negative and fractional. My whole investigations
are based upon this and I have been developing this to a remarkable extent so much that the local mathematicians
are not able to understand me in my higher flights.

Very recently I came across a tract published by you styled Orders of Infinity in page 36 of which I find a
statement that no definite expression has been as yet found for the number of primes less than any given number.
I have found an expression which very nearly approximates to the real result, the error being negligible. I would
request you to go through the enclosed papers. Being poor, if you are convinced that there is anything of value
I would like to have my theorems published. I have not given the actual investigations nor the expressions that
I get but I have indicated the lines on which I proceed. Being inexperienced I would very highly value any advice
you give me. Requesting to be excused for the trouble I give you.
I remain, Dear Sir, Yours truly
S. Ramanujan

P. S. My address is S. Ramanujan, Clerk, Accounts Department, Port Trust, Madras, India.

Ramanujan to go through the paper ‘Order of Infinity’ by the famous Cambridge mathematician
Godfrey Harold Hardy (see Box 6) published in Cambridge Tracts in Mathematics. In page 36
of that paper Ramanujan found that “The exact order of U(x) [defined by the equation: U(x) =
S(x) – where S(x) denotes the numbers of primes less than x] has not yet been

determined” and told Seshu Iyer that he had discovered a formula which would indicate the ‘order

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of U(x)’. Then Seshu Iyer advised Ramanujan to write a letter to Hardy. This letter (Box 7), written
on January 16, 1913 became a historic one as it was instrumental in the beginning of a significant
collaboration between Ramanujan and Hardy.

In his first letter, Ramanujan sent a large number of mathematical results derived by him. Hardy
called on Littlewood at night and the two began to evaluate the real merit of the results.
According to Hardy, although some results were familiar some others “seemed scarcely
impossible to believe”. In his lecture to an audience at Harvard, Hardy recalled the experience
of going through that letter by the words – I should like you to begin, by trying to reconstruct the
immediate reactions of an ordinary professional mathematician who receives a letter like this
from an unknown Hindu clerk. Observation of the outstanding mathematical results sent by
Ramanujan prompted Hardy to comment – I was the first really competent person who had the
chance to see some of his works and can still remember with satisfaction that I would recognize
at once what treasure I had found. Hardy replied to this letter on 8 February, 1913 in which he
wrote that he was very much impressed by the theorems sent by him. But, we shall come to that
collaboration after reviewing what was going on in another front.

Walker–Spring Venture

Ever since Francis Spring was introduced to Ramanujan, he was trying his best to secure a
scholarship for Ramanujan. Sir Gilbert Walker (see Box 8), an FRS and a Senior Wrangler, was
the Director General of the Indian Observatories in the Indian Meteorological Service. On 25
February, 1913 Walker went to visit the tide related laboratory of Madras Port Trust. There, Sir
Spring showed Walker the first letter (dated 8 February, 1913) of Hardy. Reading that letter,
Walker was amazed with Ramanujan’s mathematical talent and was sure that Ramanujan’s
work could be compared with that of any of the Fellows of the Cambridge. Being impressed

Box 8. Sir Gilbert Thomas Walker (1868–1958)

Sir Gilbert Walker, son of Thomas Walker and Charlotte Haslehurst, was born in Rochdale
of Lancashire. After studying at St. Paul’s School, he obtained a degree in metallurgy from
Imperial College, London. Walker became a Senior Wrangler of Trinity College in 1889.
An applied mathematician Gilbert became Director General of the Observatories in India
in 1904. He studied Indian monsoon extensively. In 1923 he published his findings on the
alternate change in surface air pressure at Darwin, Australia and the Tahiti Island in the
South Pacific known as Southern Oscillation. The ‘Walker Circulation’ (a particular
model of the air flow in the tropics in the Troposphere) is named after him. Sir Walker
described it for the first time. Walker was the President of the Royal Meteorological Society during 1926–27.
He died at Coulsdon of Surrey.

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greatly, Gilbert immediately sent a letter (dated 26 February, 1913) to Dewsbury, the Registrar
of the University of Madras recommending Ramanujan’s name for a scholarship so that he
could continue his mathematical research without any interruption.

On March 19, 1913 the Board of Studies of the University of Madras met and Narayan Iyer was
invited (by Hanumanth Rao of Mathematics Department, Engineering College) to present
Ramanujan’s case to the Board. This resulted in the Board recommending Ramanujan’s name
to the Syndicate for a research scholarship. On the consent of Pentland, the Governor of Madras,
the Board of Studies of the Madras University accepted Walker’s recommendation. It was
decided that Ramanujan would get a scholarship of Rs. 75/- per month for two years on the
condition that Ramanujan would have to submit a quarterly report of his work. On April 17,
1913, after discussion on Walker’s recommendation, the Registrar of Madras University
penned down the resolution – The regulations of the University do not at present provide for
such a scholarship. But the Syndicate assumes that Section XV of the Act of Incorporation and
Section 3 of the Indian Universities Act, 1904 allow of the grant of such a scholarship, subject
to the express consent of the Governor of Fort St. George in the Council. No doubt it was a
historic moment when the existing rules bowed down to a genius and it could happen as a joint
effort of Francis Spring and Gilbert Walker. Ramanujan received the first research scholarship
of the University of Madras from May, 1913 (on leave, on loss of pay, from Madras Port Trust).

In September, 1913 Narayan Iyer communicated some theorems of Ramanujan to the Journal
of the Indian Mathematical Society with the comments – The following theorem is due to Mr.
S. Ramanujan, the Mathematics Research Student of the Madras University. Afterwards, on
October 26, 1913, by the initiative of Narayan Iyer, Ramanujan met Richard Littlehailes,
Professor of Mathematics of Presidency College, Madras. Perhaps, this meeting was arranged
to nullify the opposition against Ramanujan regarding granting of scholarship to him.

Neville–Ramanujan Connection

Even before writing his first letter to Ramanujan, Hardy made contact with the India Office. As
a result, on 3 February, 1913 one Mallet had sent a letter to Arthur Davies, Secretary to the
Advisory Committee for Indian students in Madras. After some days, Davies met Ramanujan
and subsequently, due to Francis Spring’s initiative, Narayan Iyer informed Ramanujan that
Hardy wanted Ramanujan to come to England for continuing his mathematical research.
Initially Ramanujan declined to go to England mainly due to religious constraints. To find a way
out, Hardy approached Neville (see Box 9), who was scheduled to travel to India for delivering
a series of 21 lectures on differential geometry, for convincing Ramanujan so that he might go

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Box 9. Eric Harold Neville (1988 –1961)

Eric Harold Neville was born on 1 January in London. While studying at William Ellis
School, he was encouraged, for his proficiency in mathematics, by his mathematics
teacher T P Nunn. He entered Trinity College in 1907 where he came in contact with
G H Hardy and Bertrand Russell (1872–1970). He specialised in geometry, particularly
differential geometry. Afterwards, he was appointed to the Chair of Mathematics at the
University College, Reading. Neville is known for the algorithm invented by him and
named after him. Neville’s algorithm is used for polynomial interpolation. Neville
breathed his last on 22 August at Reading.

to England. After delivering one of his lectures, Neville met Ramanujan in early January, 1914
in the Senate House of Madras University and the latter showed him his notebooks. After some
more such meetings, Neville became very pleased as well as astonished with the works of
Ramanujan. In the meantime, Ramanujan had changed his mind and agreed to go to England.
So, in his letter dated 22 January, 1914 he wrote to Hardy in which he thanked Hardy and
Littlewood to be good enough to take the trouble of getting me to England. On the other hand
Richard Littlehailes took an active role in introducing Neville to high-ranking officials of
Madras University and public administration. Neville himself wrote a letter on 28 January, 1914
to Dewsbury for granting a scholarship to Ramanujan so that he could continue his research
work in England. On the very next day, Littlehailes also sent a letter to Dewsbury seeking a
scholarship for Ramanujan.

Francis Spring also met Lord Pentland, the Governor of Madras and in a letter to his Secretary
C B Cottrell on 5 February, 1914 Spring commented – I am anxious to interest him in a matter
which I presume will come before him within the next few days – a matter which under the
circumstances is, I believe, very urgent. It relates to the affairs of a clerk of my office named S
Ramanujan, who, as I think His Excellency has already heard from me, is pronounced by very
high mathematical authorities to be a Mathematician of a new and high, if not transcendental,
order of genius. As a result of these combined efforts of the high ranking persons, the
Government of India sanctioned a scholarship for Ramanujan (for two years) on 12 February,
1914 which included free passage to England and a certain amount of money as means of
subsistence. On February 26, 1914 Ramanujan received a second class ticket from Binny & Co.
for his voyage. Since he was a strict vegetarian, on March 11, 1914 Francis Spring instructed the
steamer agents to make sure that Ramanujan could get his vegetarian food during his journey.
After everything was settled, Ramanujan started his historic voyage on 17 March, 1914 on
board the ship S S Nevasa.

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A Historic Collaboration

Ramanujan’s first letter to Hardy played a pivotal role in establishing an important

collaboration, probably the most significant one, not only for Ramanujan but also in the history
of mathematics. During his stay in India, Ramanujan had many well-wishers and mentors.
However, his attachment to Hardy was of another dimension and at a much higher level. Seshu
Iyer, Narayan Iyer, Ramaswamy Iyer, Ramachandra Rao and Francis Spring, were all persons
in the world of mathematics who helped Ramanujan a lot in one way or the other. All of them
could recognize Ramanujan’s exceptional merit. But, Hardy’s place in the life of Ramanujan
was of a different nature. It was Hardy who actually guided Ramanujan in his mathematical
research, removed some of his misconceptions and taught him the style of writing a research
paper. Moreover, through Hardy’s effort Ramanujan received due recognition in his short
lifetime.

Before going to England, six papers of Ramanujan were published. In England, Ramanujan was
trying to re-assess and extend the results (written in his Notebooks) he obtained at Madras.
When Hardy saw those results he commented – He (Ramanujan) combined a power of
generalization of a feeling far from a capacity of rapid modification of his hypothesis that were
really startling and made him in his own peculiar field, without a rival in his day. Around June,
1914 Ramanujan and Hardy started working on two papers of which one was nearly ready.
Hardy used to attend the meetings of the London Mathematical Society on the second Thursday
of every month by catching the train at 2:15 pm. In one of those meetings in June, 1914 Hardy
presented a paper of Ramanujan in the presence of Hobson, Bromwich, Love and Littlewood.
However, Ramanujan abstained from attending that particular meeting.

After going abroad, Ramanujan could publish only one paper in the year 1914. This particular
paper, entitled ‘Modular Equations and Approximations to Pi’, was published in the Quarterly
Journal of Mathematics. However, as many as nine papers were published in 1915. Of those
nine papers, ‘Highly Composite Numbers’, published in the Proceedings of the London
Mathematical Society (Vol.2, No.14, pp.347–409), was extraordinary. For this particular paper,
Ramanujan was awarded a B A degree (honouris causa) from London University. Three papers
of Ramanujan were published in the year 1916 – two in Messenger of Mathematics and one in
Transactions of Cambridge Philosophical Society.

It may be mentioned here that according to the condition set up by Madras University,
Ramanujan (or his research guide) had to submit a report regarding Ramanujan’s progress in
research work. In the report on behalf of Ramanujan in June, 1916 Hardy wrote to Dewsbury –
India has produced many talented mathematicians who attained high academical distinction.

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They will be the first to recognize that Ramanujan’s work is of different category. Twenty-one
papers of Ramanujan were published during his stay in England of which five were joint papers
with Hardy. Besides those papers, five ‘Short Notes’ and six more articles were published in the
‘Records’ of the Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society. In his very short life period,
37 research papers of Ramanujan were published, of which seven were coauthored by Hardy.
The topics of the papers published during Ramanujan’s stay in England covered definite
integral, modular equation, Riemann zeta function, infinite series, summation of series, analytic
number theory, asymptotic formulae, modular function, theory of partition, combinatorial
analysis. Out of the seven joint papers of Ramanujan and Hardy, two particular papers, viz.,
‘Proof that almost all numbers n are composed of about log log n prime factors (published in the
Proceedings of London Mathematical Society, Vol.2, No.16, 1917) and ‘Asymptotic Formulae
in Combinatorial Analysis’ (published in the Proceedings of London Mathematical Society,
Vol.2, No.17, 1918) are considered as most significant.

Hardy not only shaped Ramanujan’s research career, but also exercised all possible influence
to bring the desired recognition for Ramanujan. Hardy strongly believed that selection as a
Fellow of the Royal Society was a necessity for Ramanujan to boost his spirit. In the application
form for FRS of Ramanujan, Hardy proposed his name and was seconded by P A McMohan
(1854–1929). Eleven other signatories in that form were J H Grace (1873–1958), Joseph
Larmour (1857–1942), T J Bromwich (1875–1929), E W Hobson (1856–1933), H F. Baker
(1866–1956), J E Littlewood (1885–1977), J W Nicholson (1881–1955), W H Young (1863–
1942), E T Whittaker (1873–1956), A R Forsyth (1858–1942) and A N Whitehead (1861–
1947). Among the signatories, all except McMohan were Wranglers of Cambridge Mathemati-
cal Tripos (including six Senior Wranglers). Ramanujan’s application form was submitted to
the Royal Society on 18 December, 1917. Ramanujan’s deteriorating health condition was a
source of anxiety for Hardy. So, he wasted no time in convincing the high-ranking persons of the
Royal Society regarding Ramanujan’s mathematical talent. He communicated detailed infor-
mation about Ramanujan to the then President of the Royal Society and Nobel Prize winning
physicist J J Thompson (1856–1940). Hardy also mentioned in his letter the poor health of
Ramanujan and warned that if the Royal Society lingered on Ramanujan’s selection then The
Society would have to live forever with its failure to honour him.

All these efforts of Hardy culminated in the selection of Ramanujan as FRS in the meeting of
the Royal Society on 28 February, 1918. After 2 May, 1918 Ramanujan was entitled to write
FRS after his name, being the second Indian to achieve this honour. It may be mentioned here
that prior to his selection as an FRS, Ramanujan was selected Member of the London
Mathematical Society on 6 December, 1917 and Member of the Cambridge Philosophical
Society on 18 February, 1918. On 10 October, 1918 Ramanujan was selected as a Fellow of

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Trinity College, being the first Indian to achieve this honour. In Ramanujan’s selection as a
Fellow of Trinity College, Littlewood played a leading role in nullifying the racial issues raised
against Ramanujan. When questions arose whether Ramanujan was mentally fit, Littlewood
produced two medical certificates to prove Ramanujan’s mental fitness. The main argument
placed in favour of Ramanujan was “For a Fellow of Royal Society to be denied a Trinity
Fellowship would be a scandal.” All these honours encouraged Ramanujan in his mathematical
research. According to Srinibas Rao – These awards acted as great incentives to Ramanujan
who discovered some of the most beautiful results in mathematics subsequently. To appreciate
the truth of this statement, we note that shortly before his selection in the Royal Society,
Ramanujan jumped in front of a running train to kill himself but was saved somehow. He was
arrested by Scotland Yard Police but was released through Hardy’s intervention. All these
inevitably imply that none other than Hardy should be regarded as the foremost mentor of
Ramanujan.

Due to his illness, Ramanujan started his return journey to India on 27 February, 1919 on the
ship S S Nagoa and reached Mumbai on 27 March, 1919. In his last letter to Hardy written on
12 January, 1920 Ramanujan described his newly discovered ‘Mock Theta Function’. The
importance of mock theta function was so great that it became the topic of the farewell lecture
of George Neville Watson (1886–1965) in the London Mathematical Society on 14 November,
1936. Watson finished his lecture with the words – ….To his (Ramanujan’s) students such
discoveries will be a source of delight and wonder until the time will come when we shall make
our journey to the Garden of Paradise where

Pale, beyond porch and portal

Crowned with Calm leaves, she stands
Who gathers all things mortal
With cold immortal hands.

Anyway, even after coming back to India, Ramanujan had no respite from his malady and finally
he succumbed to his disease on 26 April, 1920. Dewan Bahadur Ramachandra Rao arranged for
his cremation through his own son-in-law and Ramanujan’s childhood friend Rajagopalachari.

The news of Ramanujan’s demise reached Hardy while he was in Oxford. The news read: By
direction of the [University ] Syndicate, I write to communicate to you, with feelings of great
regret, the sad news of the death of Mr. Ramanujan, F. R. S., which took place on the morning
of the 26th April. Hardy, the principal mentor of Ramanujan, reacted with the words – It was a
great shock and surprise to me to hear of Mr. Ramanujan’s death,…… For my part, it is difficult
for me to say what I owe to Ramanujan – his originality has been a constant source of suggestion

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to me ever since I knew him, and his death is one of the worst blows I have ever had. Since at
that time, publication of the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society was lagging behind
schedule, the news of Ramanujan’s death appeared in its December 1919 issue. After seven
months, Seshu Iyer and Ramachandra Rao wrote two obituaries in the same issue of the journal.
In England, Hardy wrote an obituary note in Nature which was complemented by addition of
more information by Neville a few months later. Afterwards, a more elaborate version of the
obituary written by Hardy was published in the Proceedings of the London mathematical
Society in 1921. The same article was published some time later in the Proceedings of the Royal
Society and again in Collected Papers of Ramanujan, when it was published in 1927. In that
article, Hardy wrote – One gift [Ramanujan’s work] has which no one can deny, ….profound
and invincible originality. He went on writing – He would probably have been a greater
mathematician if he had been caught and tamed a little in his youth; he would have discovered
more that was new, and that, no doubt, of great importance. On the other hand he would have
been less of a Ramanujan, and more of a European professor, and the loss might have been
greater than the gain. The American Mathematical Monthly also dedicated a lot of space in one
of their issues for describing the discoveries and other aspects of Ramanujan. In 1936, Hardy
went to Harvard to deliver lectures on Ramanujan and Ramanujan: Twelve Lectures on Subjects
Suggested by His Life and Work was a result of it.

For evaluating Ramanujan’s place in the world of mathematics, Bruce C Berndt has said – Paul
Erdös has passed on to us Hardy’s personal ratings of mathematicians. Suppose that we rate
mathematicians on the basis of pure talent on a scale from 0 to 100, Hardy gave himself a score
of 25, Littlewood 30, Hilbert 80 and Ramanujan 100. Hardy described Ramanujan as the most
remarkable mathematician I have ever seen.

Aftermath of Eternal Journey

The patrons and mentors of Ramanujan continued performing their duties even after the genius
started his eternal journey. The last paper of Ramanujan, entitled ‘Congruence Properties of
Partitions’ was published in Mathematische Zeitschrift in 1921 (Vol.9, pp.147–153) by the
effort of Hardy. Three years after Ramanujan’s death, Hardy edited Chapter XII of Ramanujan’s
second NoteBook. Soon after learning of Ramanujan’s death, Hardy had written to Dewsbury:
Is it possible that Madras would consider the question of publishing the papers in a collected
form ? There should be some permanent memorial of so remarkable a genius; and this memorial
would certainly be the most appropriate form. In 1927, Collected Papers of Ramanujan,
containing 355 pages, was published by the Cambridge University Press under the editorship of
G H Hardy, P V Seshu Iyer and B M Wilson. Almost the entire works of Ramanujan are in it
including the works done in India, even the questions posed by him in the Journal of the Indian

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Mathematical Society as well as the mathematical portions of his letters to Hardy. This work
was published afterwards by Chelsea and Narosa Publishing House in 1962 and 1987 respec-
tively. Bruce C Berndt (from Spinger) has done a great job by editing and publishing the original
Notebooks of Ramanujan in five volumes (Parts I to V) since 1985. On the other hand,
Ramanujan’s Lost Notebook was recovered in 1976 by George Andrews of Pennsylvania State
University in the estate of G N Watson (1886–1965). A facsimile edition of the book was
published by Narosa Publishing House in 1987 on the eve of Ramanujan’s Birth Centenary.

Epilogue

It is clear that Ramanujan received generous support from many individuals within India and
England, from mathematicians as well as public figures. (In this regard his experience was quite
unlike, say, that of Niels Henrik Abel, who died unknown and unrecognized by any great
mathematician.) The precise cause of his early demise may never be fully known, nor whether
it could have been prevented by better care. But it is obvious that it was a tragic loss, not just to
India but to the entire world of mathematics.

Suggested Reading
[1] Robert Kanigel, The Man Who Knew Infinity, Abacus, 2010.
[2] Satyabachi Sar, Ganit Jagater Bismoy Ramanujan; Jnan Bichitra, Agartala, 2006.
[3] Rabindranath Patra, Srinibas Ramanujan, Kishore Jnan-Bijnan, Kolkata, 2010.
[4] Apart from the above three books, the author has consulted various sources on the internet and it is not
possible to refer to those sources separately. The author is indebted to all those sources.

Utpal Mukhopahyay is a teacher of Barasat Satyabharati Vidyapith. He obtained his PhD degree in
physics from Jadavpur University, Kolkata by working on Lambda Dark Energy. His area of
research interest is relativistic cosmology. He is also actively engaged in science popularization and
has written several popular and semi-popular articles in various English and Bengali journals
including Resonance. Recently he has coauthored a book The Accelerating Universe : Role of Dark
Energy published by Lap Lambert Publishing Company, Germany.

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