Guntur: Mathematician Komaravolu's birth centenary celebration on Nov 21

Guntur: The Forum for Better Bapatla will celebrate the birth centenary of forgotten international mathematician Komaravolu Chandrasekharan on November 21. Chandrasekharan was one of the leading mathematicians of the twentieth century.

He hailed from Bapatla. His father Komaravolu Rajaiah was the headmaster of Bapatla Board High School in 1931. Chandrasekharan was a well-known figure in scientific community. His contributions to the development of mathematics had an international dimension. He served for 24 years on the executive committee of the International Mathematical Union. He was born on 21 November 1920.

His researches were in the area of classical analysis and number theory. He was among the finest Indian mathematicians of his generation. He wrote two books, both of which were well received. He was first recipient of Bhatnagar Prize for Mathematics in 1959 and was also awarded Padmasri in the same year. As a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee, he was responsible for the formulation of the Science Policy Resolution of the Government of India.

He was also responsible for the creation of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Mumbai. He headed the School of Mathematics at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. He left India in 1965 to take up a permanent professorship at the ETH, a premier scientific research institution located in Zurich, Switzerland. He died on 13th April 2017.