Born in Erode
Srinivasa Ramanujan was born in Erode and raised mainly in Kumbakonam.
Related person: Srinivasa Ramanujan
Biographical records
A Life Measured in Infinite Ideas
A chronological editorial timeline of Ramanujan's life, work and legacy.
Childhood in Kumbakonam
His early life in Kumbakonam placed him in the educational and devotional setting that shaped his youth.
Related person: Srinivasa Ramanujan
Encounter with Carr's Synopsis
Carr's book became a catalyst for Ramanujan's independent mathematical development.
G. S. Carr, Synopsis
Formal Study Falters
His intense focus on mathematics contributed to academic setbacks outside mathematics.
Marriage to Janaki Ammal
Ramanujan married Janaki Ammal, whose life remained intertwined with his memory and legacy.
Related person: Janaki Ammal
Madras Port Trust Employment
Employment at the Madras Port Trust gave Ramanujan some stability while supporters helped bring his mathematics to wider attention.
Letter to Hardy
Ramanujan wrote to Hardy with extraordinary formulas and results, initiating the connection that changed his career.
Related person: G. H. Hardy
Related discovery1913 correspondence
Journey to England
Ramanujan travelled to England and entered the Cambridge mathematical world.
Related person: G. H. Hardy
Work at Cambridge
He worked with Hardy and Littlewood and produced major publications under difficult wartime and health conditions.
Related discoveryFellow of the Royal Society
Ramanujan was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in recognition of his mathematical contributions.
Fellow of Trinity College
He became a Fellow of Trinity College, a rare honour for an Indian mathematician of the period.
Return to India
Ill health brought Ramanujan back to India, where he continued to work.
Final Letter on Mock Theta Functions
Ramanujan described mock theta functions to Hardy, opening a problem that would influence mathematics for decades.
Related discoveryFinal letter to Hardy
Death in Kumbakonam
Ramanujan died at age 32, leaving notebooks, papers and correspondence that continued to unfold.
Lost Notebook Rediscovered
George Andrews found manuscript material later known as the Lost Notebook.
Related person: George Andrews
Related discovery