Inspirational Figures

"Before I discovered Ramanujan or Harish-Chandra, I discovered the purpose of my life, love, and eternal strength in her."

While great mathematicians shaped my intellectual path, it is my mother who shaped me as a person. Her love and affection gave me the purpose of my life. Her unwavering support, silent sacrifices, and constant belief in my dreams have been the foundation on which all my learning stands.

 I was not born to love mathematics or physics, they became meaningful to me because I wanted to do something significant for her, something that would make her proud of her son.

She is not a figure in a textbook or a lecture, but her influence is written into every line I draw in a notebook and every mathematical idea I pursue. She is my first teacher, my eternal inspiration, and the reason I strive to become not just a better mathematician, but a son who can bring her happiness and pride.

“My first spark in mathematics.” 

It was the summer of 2017 when I was in my High school, I saw the movie "The Man Who Knew Infinity" which changed my life forever, probably the greatest influence I ever had after my mother in terms of what the purpose of "Life". Earlier I was interested in Physics and Cosmology and wanted to persue in theoretical physics but in the end section of the movie, I saw the late work of Ramanujan in his last years (Mock Theta function) is now being studied in the study of Black Holes. That year, I was in conflict between mathematical maturity vs theoretical physics, and that summer, I chose mathematics. I chose Number Theory because of Ramanujan.

For me, he is like a God to me, and perhaps only a mathematical equation could ever come close to expressing how much he means to me, because words aren’t enough.
Just like Ramanujan once said, "An equation for me has no meaning unless it expresses a thought of God," just like that what I feel, "A poet write a poem to express his emotions, for a mathematican emotions take purest form when they are dedicated or expressed in numbers and equation." In him, I saw that mathematics isn't just logic, it's poetry, it's fire, it's faith, it's meaningful. 

His life inspired a generation of mathematicians, and I'm blessed to get inspired by him both from his life and his mathematics.

Pic: It's a sketch of S. Ramanujan, which I draw in the summer of 2017.

“The essence of mathematics lies in its freedom.” Harish-Chandra 

It was much later in my journey that I encountered the story of Harish-Chandra, but the impact was just as profound. While preparing a presentation on his life, I wasn’t expecting to find someone whose philosophy would speak so directly to my soul.

A man of few words but deep thought, he walked away from physics, even from the great Dirac himself, to pursue mathematics not for glory, but for truth.

If Ramanujan lit the first spark, Harish-Chandra shaped the inner voice that keeps me grounded. He showed me that mathematics is a philosophy, a discipline that demands not just intellect but humility and integrity.