National Mathematics Day 2021: History, Know why Indian Celebrates

The story of the National Mathematics Day dates back to 1919 when two world-renowned mathematicians were at a debate about a very odd topic.

The two mathematicians, G. H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan were immensely debating about a specific taxi number - 1729.

While Hardy insisted that the number was insignificant and boring, Ramanujan told him that it was an interesting number and proved him wrong.

He states that “1729 is a magic number which can do wonders! That’s because the number 1729 is the only smallest number expressible as the sum of two positive cubes in two different ways.”

Later Ramanujan also showed the world the importance of infinity which named him the Mozart of Mathematics. After he had demonstrated the wonder of the number 1729, it got known as The Ramanujan Number worldwide.

This year on National Mathematics Day, we celebrate the 134th birthday of Srinivasa Ramanujan, FRS. When we look into his life, there are a lot of things we could learn. Here are some of the important life lessons we can learn from the Mozart of Mathematics:

Self-Learning

Ramanujan always had a love for mathematics. From a very young age, he self-taught himself because of limited resources and education quality at the time. He was so intrigued by the subject that he had mastered the world of numbers at the age of 12 and was discovering his theorems. He teaches us the importance of persistence and self-learning, and how they can help us grow.

Hard Work and Determination

Ramanujan led a very difficult life where he had to constantly battle for finances and good health.

His limited resources barely allowed him a decent education in the beginning, but he was determined to pursue his love for mathematics.

He constantly sent letters until he was finally recognized by Cambridge and was invited to explore his theories and ideas.

Later Ramanujan got his Ph.D. from Cambridge and was recognized as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.

Ramanujan taught us that self-motivation and perseverance can help you achieve all your goals.

Learning Maths as a Skill

Ramanujan has, on several occasions, stated that numbers speak to him which helps him solve complex problems simply.

His understanding of mathematics came from a direct and practical approach to the concepts as he was devoid of any education in his early years.

This teaches us that we should not look at maths as a subject but as something that helps us approach problems with logic and reasoning.

Having a strong foundation for maths can help you in critical thinking and use that skill in several aspects of life.

Curiosity and Overcoming Fear

Ramanujan always asked questions. He believed that there are no stupid questions and kept questioning the solution until he understood why and how it happened.

Ramanujan always kept the childlike curiosity that allowed him to approach all the problems with a mind full of questions and without fear.