National Mathematics Day!

Every year, 22 December is observed as National Mathematics Day to mark the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a legendary Indian mathematician.

His contributions to number theory, infinite series, mathematical analysis, etc., are considered instrumental.

Mathematics Day is marked to celebrate his works and recognize him as a legend in mathematics.

National Mathematics Day is an occasion to remember Ramanujan’s great achievements and reflect on the significance of mathematics in our everyday lives.

Born in 1887 in Tamil Nadu, Ramanujan spent most of his life in poverty. He developed a keen interest in mathematics from a young age, and by 15, he obtained a copy Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics by George Shoobridge Carr’s Synopsis.

To sustain himself, he took the job of a clerk as an adult but continued his mathematical studies independently.

Getting in touch with some renowned professors from international universities, Ramanujan eventually made his way to Trinity College & was elected as one of the members of the London Mathematical Society.

In 1918, he was elected as one of the fellows of the Royal Society. Ramanujan was also nominated as the first Indian to be one of the fellow members of Trinity College Cambridge.

And of course, in his remembrance and honor, 22nd December was named as National Mathematics Day.

Ramanujan’s Contributions to Mathematics:

• He made diverse contributions to the theory of numbers and mathematical functions.
• He theorized on divergent series, Riemann series, hypergeometric series, the elliptic integrals, and the functional equations of the zeta function.
• In 1911, his papers were published in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society.
• The number 1729 is known as the Hardy-Ramanujan number.

National Maths Day – Significance

Mathematics Day is marked to raise awareness about the importance of mathematics. People celebrate this day to understand how maths is important for developing humanity from the grassroots level. On this day –

• The government takes several initiatives to enthuse, teach, and motivate the public and the country’s youth to develop a positive attitude towards mathematics.
• Free training is provided to various students and mathematics teachers through camps. It highlights the production, dissemination, and development of mathematics teaching-learning materials.
• The National Academy of Science India (NASI) conducts workshops to celebrate the day. Every year, various popular lecturers and mathematicians from all over the nation attend this workshop.
• On Maths Day, the speakers also talk about the contributions of Srinivasa Ramanujan to the world of mathematics at the national and global levels.