Srinivasa Ramanujan
A self-taught clerk in Madras; a nine-page letter of theorems brought him to Cambridge.
Srinivasa Ramanujan was born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, India. Srinivasa Ramanujan's background is described as Tamil Brahmin. Growing up, the family was working class — his father clerked in a sari shop; the family took in lodgers to make ends meet. A self-taught clerk in Madras; a nine-page letter of theorems brought him to Cambridge.
- Born
- 1887 · Erode, Tamil Nadu, India
- Roots
- Tamil Brahmin
- Family
- Working class
- His father clerked in a sari shop; the family took in lodgers to make ends meet.
- Education
- Self-taught from borrowed books; failed out of college twice for ignoring every subject but mathematics
- Started with
- A borrowed book
- Carr's Synopsis, lent to him at 16, became his entire mathematical education; a clerkship later left time for the notebooks.
- Affiliations & societies
- Royal SocietyDocumented
- Elected a fellow in 1918, among the youngest ever at the time.
- Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.
The pathway
- 1903 · age 16A borrowed book
Carr's Synopsis of thousands of theorems becomes his self-education; he works through and extends it alone.
- 1912 · age 24Port Trust clerk
Patrons impressed by his notebooks find him an office job that leaves time for mathematics.
- 1913 · age 25The letter to Hardy
Nine pages of theorems; Hardy concludes they "must be true, because, if they were not true, no one would have the imagination to invent them."
- 1914 · age 26Cambridge
Works with Hardy through the war years.
- 1918 · age 30Fellow of the Royal Society
- 1920 · age 32Dies in Madras
Returns home ill; a "lost notebook" of final results surfaces in 1976.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Srinivasa Ramanujan from?
Srinivasa Ramanujan was born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, India. Their background is described as Tamil Brahmin.
When was Srinivasa Ramanujan born?
Srinivasa Ramanujan was born in 1887, in Erode, Tamil Nadu, India.
What is Srinivasa Ramanujan's background or ethnicity?
Srinivasa Ramanujan's roots are described as Tamil Brahmin. These are broad categories drawn from public sources, not statements about how the person identifies.
Where did Srinivasa Ramanujan go to school?
Srinivasa Ramanujan's education: Self-taught from borrowed books; failed out of college twice for ignoring every subject but mathematics.
What was Srinivasa Ramanujan's family background growing up?
At birth the family was working class. His father clerked in a sari shop; the family took in lodgers to make ends meet.
How did Srinivasa Ramanujan get started?
Srinivasa Ramanujan started with a borrowed book. Carr's Synopsis, lent to him at 16, became his entire mathematical education; a clerkship later left time for the notebooks.
Sources
Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.