Greatest Mathematicians and Their Work
Chidambaram Ramanujam | | |
Top of FormBottom of Form | | | | | Before we look at the life and work of Chidambaram Padmanabhan Ramanujam we must warn the reader that this article is on Ramanujam, NOT Ramanujan the number theorist who worked with G H Hardy (there is only a difference of one letter in their names!). Ramanujam's father was C S Padmanabhan who was an advocate working in Madras, India, at the High Court. C P Ramanujam was educated in Madras, first at Ewart's School, where he had his primary and the first part of his secondary education, and then at the Sir M Ct Muthiah Chetty High School at Vepery, Madras. His interests on the academic side were in mathematics and chemistry while on the sporting side he was an enthusiastic tennis player. Chemistry experiments were particularly fascinating to him and he made a chemistry laboratory in a room in his home. There he would spend happy times carrying out experiments with one of his friends. In 1952, while still only 14 years old, he passed his final High School examinations and entered Loyola College in Madras. Ramanujam's achievements at High School had been outstanding and he had shown that he was extraordinarily gifted, so he entered Loyola College with great expectations. He continued his interest in chemistry but it was mathematics that he specialised in, taking Mathematics Honours after obtaining his Intermediate qualification. He was awarded a B.A. with Honours in Mathematics in 1957 but, strangely for such an outstanding student, he only obtained a second class degree. This may have been a result of starting his university education at so young an age before he was really ready, for the second class degree no way reflected his remarkable mathematical abilities. On the other hand it may have resulted from a lack of belief in himself which haunted Ramanujam throughout his life. He had been taught mathematics by Father C Racine in his final honours years at Loyola College and he encouraged
Top of FormBottom of Form | | | | | Before we look at the life and work of Chidambaram Padmanabhan Ramanujam we must warn the reader that this article is on Ramanujam, NOT Ramanujan the number theorist who worked with G H Hardy (there is only a difference of one letter in their names!). Ramanujam's father was C S Padmanabhan who was an advocate working in Madras, India, at the High Court. C P Ramanujam was educated in Madras, first at Ewart's School, where he had his primary and the first part of his secondary education, and then at the Sir M Ct Muthiah Chetty High School at Vepery, Madras. His interests on the academic side were in mathematics and chemistry while on the sporting side he was an enthusiastic tennis player. Chemistry experiments were particularly fascinating to him and he made a chemistry laboratory in a room in his home. There he would spend happy times carrying out experiments with one of his friends. In 1952, while still only 14 years old, he passed his final High School examinations and entered Loyola College in Madras. Ramanujam's achievements at High School had been outstanding and he had shown that he was extraordinarily gifted, so he entered Loyola College with great expectations. He continued his interest in chemistry but it was mathematics that he specialised in, taking Mathematics Honours after obtaining his Intermediate qualification. He was awarded a B.A. with Honours in Mathematics in 1957 but, strangely for such an outstanding student, he only obtained a second class degree. This may have been a result of starting his university education at so young an age before he was really ready, for the second class degree no way reflected his remarkable mathematical abilities. On the other hand it may have resulted from a lack of belief in himself which haunted Ramanujam throughout his life. He had been taught mathematics by Father C Racine in his final honours years at Loyola College and he encouraged