National Mathematics Day 2022: History, Date, and Importance

Srinivasa Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician, was born on December 22, recognized as National Mathematics Day. One of the most influential mathematicians of all time, Ramanujan, left behind up to 4,000 theorems. Ramanujan, born in 1887 in what is now Tamil Nadu, conducted most of his research there. He was the second Indian to join the Royal Society and the first to be elected as a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

His contributions include work on infinite series, continuing fractions, mathematical analysis, and number theory. The year following his homecoming from the UK, the young mathematical prodigy passed away. He was 32. Over the years, he has been honored with numerous occasions that showcase his achievements.

Ramanujan's 125th birthday was commemorated in 2011, and Manmohan Singh, the prime minister at the time, said that December 22 would be observed as National Mathematics Day each year in his honor. Numerous books have been written about Ramanujan, with The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Kanigel being the most well-known (1991). A movie of the same name was made in 2016 and starred British actor Dev Patel as Ramanujan.