ராமானுஜன் என்னும் மேதை

 Ramanujan, the Genius

     Last year when I visited USA, I had the opportunity to watch the  movie    “The Man Who Knew Infinity”. It was a film based on the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan (December 22, 1887 - April 26, 1920) one of the  greatest mathematicians the world has known.

 Ramanujan, after growing up in a middle class family in Chennai (Madras), India, earned admission to Cambridge during World War I, where he pioneered many mathematical theories.

The movie was based on the book of his biography titled “The Man Who Knew Infinity” written by Robert Kanigel in 1991.

It was a remarkable movie.

     While many of Ramanujan’s theories require advance knowledge in mathematics there are one or two which can be understood and enjoyed by all.

Here is one – a brilliant Magic Square which is unique in many respects.

We all know what a Magic Square is. It is a square that is divided into smaller squares, each containing a number, such that the figures in each vertical, horizontal, and diagonal row add up to the same value.

In Ramanujan’s square, the figures add up to 139. In how many ways?

In 22 ways! Scroll down and find all the 22 ways.

    There is also another very interesting feature about these numbers.
Try to find it.        

   Each little square in the magic square has a number in it.  Each one is also labelled in the corner (small triangle) to identify the location of the little square.

 

Some of you would now say : “OK. We know such squares.  I agree that this Magic Square by  Ramanujan is really good. But you mentioned  in the Introduction that there is something special about these numbers. What was that?”

      Yes.. I am coming  to that now.

       Did you notice his date of birth?  Yes, sure, scroll up and see.  Got the hint?

Anything special about this date and the magic square? No?

Let me rewrite his date of birth in numerals: 22-12-1887 (Indian style of writing datesJ)

What are the  four numbers in the top line of the square? Hold your breath… his date of birth! The whole magic square took off with his date of birth.

I can hear you saying Wow!

Read on for more interesting info on his name!

We are celebrating the 1000^th birth anniversary of the great Vaishnava saint and philosopher
Sri Ramanujar  (1017–1137 CE)  this year. He has written extensive commentaries on the Gita and Vedanta topics and is revered in South India.

Our math genius Sri(nivasa) Ramanujan’s 1000^th birth aniversary will  be celebrated around the world in 2887.