My 11th and 12th standard (1984-86) mathematics teacher, Shri S Ramalingam sir, asked me to write a felicitation for him, for his "Handbook of mathematics".

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Felicitations to my teacher

ॐ आचार्य देवो भव; எழுத்தறிவித்தவர் இறைவன் ஆவார்![1]

Let us travel back in time to the year 1984. The setting is an old classroom in the Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School, Perambur, Chennai. Built during the British era, with a tiled and high roof that would leak all over during rains, it was as spartan an academic environment as one could think of.

The classroom of around forty-odd students was full of sixteen years old – an age ideal for all sorts of mischief and frolic. The students have hardly been in their eleventh standard for just two or three months. Yet, the entire class was pin-drop silent and, on their feet, with palpitating hearts and shallow breathing.

The reason for this was simple. Mathematics class was in progress. It was accepted that eleventh standard mathematics was tougher than the twelfth standard, and most schools did not bother to teach mathematics in the eleventh standard. To get good results in twelfth standard board exams, most schools would directly teach twelfth standard mathematics, skipping eleventh standard – two full years of grilling. It was ironic that one did not have the need to understand eleventh standard math basics to get centum in twelfth standard and most other schools leveraged that. As far as they were concerned, teaching eleventh standard mathematics was just a waste of their time and resources.

But our mathematics teacher was different; a lot different. He was a true mathematician in letter and spirit. His passion for students and mathematics was unparalleled. He was born to deliver as much knowledge of mathematics as possible to the world. The teacher was a strict man of around thirty-seven years of age, bespectacled, tall, handsome, and erect, with a permanent smile. As he walked the corridors with a military gait, his broad chest thrust forward, oozing with self-confidence and courage. His voice was authoritative, and tone stentorian. Peering through the soul of each student he could assess their underlying potential and bring it out. He was also a very strict person to whom two things mattered most – character and mathematics. His presence invoked in the minds of his students a sense of awe, fear, and profound respect. Yet he was kind and jovial to the point where colleagues around him always had a good laugh. His sense of humour was infectious.

As he taught, he would randomly pick a student and ask the relevant mathematical formula or definition. Naturally, a wrong answer would irk him. On that day, he was teaching his eleventh standard class the topic, “Sequences and Series”. Suddenly he pointed to one student and asked, “What is the sum to infinity of a geometric series?” The student blinked. He did not know the answer[2]. The math teacher was so furious that in front of the entire class (half of which was girls) he shouted in both English and Tamil, “Why do you come to the class without learning the formulas? Why do you waste my time? I can’t believe you scored a centum in mathematics in your tenth standard! You are only fit to tend buffalos.”

The poor student hung-up his head in shame, resolving never to put himself in such a situation again. He worked harder. Soon thereafter the teacher gave a test, which was to derive:  lim t->0 [sin(t)/t]=1 and lim t->0 [tan(t)/t]=1, in more than one way.  This student finished the entire solution in less than half the time it took for the rest of the class. The teacher smiled and said, “This is the speed I expect from you. Good!” The student was ecstatic. He resolved to work even harder and make his teacher proud.

One day the student was approaching his school on a bicycle and spotted his math teacher coming in the opposite direction. Out of deference, the boy got down from his bicycle and saluted the teacher. The teacher said, “I am going for my breakfast to the nearby restaurant. Come with me.” Which student in his right mind would dare to not comply? The student meekly got down and accompanied his teacher. Once seated inside the restaurant, the teacher asked, “What do you want to eat?” The student replied, “I had my breakfast at home sir”. “No, no. Eat something.” Without waiting for a response, he ordered a plate of Pongal and a Dosa for his student. The student tried hard to eat but could only eat a bit of Pongal and the entire order was wasted. “It is ok,” smiled the teacher.

When the eleventh standard exams got over, the teacher asked the student to meet him the very next day with a notebook. The student came to school with a big diary. The teacher was a bit annoyed and said, “Look, I want you to memorize all the important maths formulas for your twelfth standard. How many times do I have to repeat that a student should always use a long unruled notebook for mathematics? Anyway, you have only your diary with you now.” Saying so, he wrote down pages and pages of formulas right from memory for his student. The student was overwhelmed! “Memorize all these and I would quiz you anytime the school reopens.”

The student was completely awed. He was a stranger to so much love and affection. He resolved that he would complete the entire twelfth standard mathematics syllabus during the eleventh standard holidays and he sure did!

The teacher continued to encourage this student. Whenever he would have to step outside in the middle of a class when called by the Principal, he would ask this student to teach as a substitute. The student was more than happy. The math teacher was completing his M. Phil during 1985 and he asked this student to correct his M. Phil thesis for English grammar. This remains one of the highest honours bestowed upon this simple student. He used to often say to the student, “you are dynamic.” The student did not even understand what it meant except for the fact that it could be some sort of a compliment. This teacher would often tell his students, “In the future, I would want you all to meet in big conferences and present your discoveries and breakthroughs.” He dreamt for his students – lofty and noble.

We shall continue this story a bit later.

This wonderful compendium for which I am privileged to write a felicitation is unique. This is a world-class book from world-class authors. It presents all necessary mathematical formulas in a cogent manner with appropriate diagrams. It is useful not just for higher secondary school children, but for everyone with an interest in science and mathematics. The formulas are well presented with clear explanations.

One unique feature of this book is the subtle and subconscious motivation it provides to the readers by bringing-in extraordinary mathematicians in the relevant context. Memorizing mathematical formulas could be boring for any student. But when the same is presented along with the mathematician responsible for the formula, it gives a new sense of purpose and direction to learning. Kudos to the authors for their out-of-box thinking.

The diagrams are clear and well-connected to the text. The explanations provided are self-sufficient but not too much to bog-down the student. The authors have made the material speak for itself that it is a handbook and not a textbook. The notations also match with international norms and so the reach of this handbook is global.

Now, let us continue with our story.

The student, thanks to such motivation, scored a centum in his twelfth standard mathematics, completed his engineering from Guindy Engineering College with highest honours (3rd rank in the Mechanical Engineering department), completed his MS and Ph.D. in Canada with the Governor General’s Gold Medal, and went on to win several awards, receive patents and make publications in international journals of repute. He is currently serving as a Vice President, R&D in Ashok Leyland, Chennai. In his batch of twelfth standard, almost eleven out of around forty students secured centum, with many others trailing closely behind (missing centum just by a mark or two) – somewhat of a record of sorts. Each student is now shining in his or her field of choice.

Throughout this student’s life, his communication and relation with his math teacher remained intact to the point where the student’s son also had the good fortune of learning mathematics from his teacher. The teacher was the kindest the student has ever seen and what he had learned from his teacher is being followed throughout his life. The student still remembers several formulas that were drilled into his head by this soulful teacher. The student has guided several candidates at master’s and doctoral levels, and his approach has always been what he had learned from his dear math teacher.

If the reader thinks that this student-teacher relationship is unique, then that notion is only partially correct. The relation is unique only from the perspective of the student. From the standpoint of this teacher, he has been maintaining such a personal and intimate relationship (more like father-child) with several of his students. So, if an account such as this comes from a thousand of his students, it would consist of a thousand such unique experiences, which would make an excellent book by itself!

Here is a teacher who has dedicated his life to mathematics and students. Here is a teacher who has truly touched the soul of his students. Here is a teacher who resides in the heart of every student of his. Here is a teacher who has truly gone out of his way to ensure that his students come up in life. Here is a teacher who has taught his students about life, character, and love, apart from mathematics.

It still beats this writer as to when so many of his students are so well-placed all over the globe in such high positions, why should this singular honour of writing a felicitation go to this student who is so least deserving? As always, the teacher knows what is best and this student simply considers it as yet another manifestation of his teacher’s boundless grace.

Need I even reveal that the kind teacher mentioned above is Shri Ramalingam master and the undeserving student is yours truly! My attachment with my sir is deep and personal. To me, he is a manifestation of divinity in flesh and blood. Thanks, sir. Thanks, sir. Thanks, sir. My humble namaskarams to you always. I would always remain your student.

Dr. M Sathya Prasad, PhD

November 26, 2020

[1] A teacher is truly God’s manifestation.

[2] He would never forget for the rest of his life that the sum to infinity of a geometric series is a/(1-r)