Man Who Knew InfinityIn 1913, a young unschooled Indian clerk wrote a letter to G H Hardy, begging the preeminent English mathematician's opinion on several ideas he had about numbers. Realizing the letter was the work of a genius, Hardy arranged for Srinivasa Ramanujan to come to England. Thus began one of the most improbable and productive collaborations ever chronicled. With a passion for rich and evocative detail, Robert Kanigel takes us from the temples and slums of Madras to the courts and chapels of Cambridge University, where the devout Hindu Ramanujan, 'the Prince of Intuition,' tested his brilliant theories alongside the sophisticated and eccentric Hardy, 'the Apostle of Proof.' In time, Ramanujan's creative intensity took its toll: he died at the age of thirty-two and left behind a magical and inspired legacy that is still being plumbed for its secrets today. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - setnahkt - LibraryThingMostly because if it were titled The Man Who Knew Number Theory it wouldn’t sell as many copies. If you do a biography of a great musician or great artist or great author, you’ve got it easy. There ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - nosajeel - LibraryThingA really fantastic book. I appreciated a biography that had a lot of equations. But even without the equations not only was Ramanujan a wonderfully drawn portrait but it also really conveyed collaboration and the very interesting story of Hardy as well. Read full review
Contents
Prologue | 1 |
OneIN THE TEMPLES COOLNESS1887 to 1903 | 9 |
2 Sarangapani Sannidhi Street | 11 |
Copyright | |
56 other sections not shown
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Apology foreword asked Bollobas Brahmin British Cambridge Cauvery century Chandrasekhar Collected Papers Cranleigh Cranleigh School cricket death early ematical England English equation example Family Record Fellow formulas G. H. Hardy genius Hardy wrote Hardy's Hindu Ibid Indian Mathematical Indian Mathematical Society Indian students integral intellectual Interview Janaki Journal K. R. Rajagopalan knew Komalatammal Kumbakonam later least lectures letter Littlewood lived London Mathematical Society Madras manujan Mary Cartwright math mathematician months mother Namagiri Narayana Iyer never Neville once Oxford P. K. Srinivasan partitions perhaps Port Trust Presidency College prime number problem professor proof Ramachandra Rao Ramanu Ramanujan wrote Ramanujan's notebooks recalled Royal Society rupees S. R. Ranganathan scarcely scholarship Seshu Iyer Snow sometimes South India story street Tamil temple theorems things told took town Trinity College Tripos tuberculosis University Winchester wrote Hardy
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Man Who Knew Infinity |
| Author | Robert Kanigel |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Washington Square Press, 1992 |
| ISBN | 0671750615, 9780671750619 |
| Length | 464 pages |
| Subjects | › Biography & Autobiography / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |