Friday, January 10, 2025

Hardy and Ramanujan by C. P. Snow- Essay

 

Hardy and Ramanujan

C.P. Snow

C.P.Snow's "Hardy and Ramanujan" is an extract of his book Variety of Men. This  prose on Ramanujan is taken from the biography of the mathematician Hardy. It describes Hardy's interest on Ramanujan, his invitation of Ramanujan to London and their contribution to maths. The details are given from the perception of Hardy.

Hardy was a renowned mathematician working as a professor at Cambridge University. In 1913, January he received an untidy envelope from India. The sheets inside were not clean and written mathematical theories in non-English script. He looked at those signs with no interest and soon felt bored. Most of the theorems were either wild without any proof or already known. Hardy got irritated by it and left them aside.

One day, Hardy could not concentrate on anything. The wild theorems of the Indian started disturbing him. He doubted the Indian either a fraud or a genius. So he called for his friend Littlewood. They discussed the theorems in Hardy's room. Soon, they understood that those letters were from a genius mathematician. Before sending the manuscript to Hardy, Ramanujan had sent it to two more Maths professors in London. But they could not evaluate the knowledge of Ramanujan. Next, Hardy invited Ramanujan to England with the help of Trinity College which funded many geniuses earlier.

In 1914, Ramanujan reached London. Both Ramanujan and Hardy developed a close relationship. Hardy thought that Ramanujan was an untrained genius. Ramanujan did not have proficiency in English. So, when Hardy talked about general things in English, Ramanujan looked confused. Even in maths, Ramanujan was a self-taught. Hardy once thought that if Ramanujan had got education, he would be lesser in knowledge. Later he corrected himself by thinking that Ramanujan would be wonderful if he had better education. Hardy taught Ramanujan some formal maths. They both produced five papers of the highest knowledge. The Royal society of England elected Ramnujan as a Fellow at the age of thirty. He also received a Fellowship from Trinity. Ramanujan was the first Indian to receive such honour in England.

The climate of London made Ramnujan to be ill soon. He was admitted in a hospital. The famous taxi-cab number incident took place in the hospital. Hardy went to meet Ramanujan in the hospital by a taxi. He started the conversation by stating that the taxi number in which he travelled was a dull number 1729, which activated Ramanujan. He replied immediately that was a very interesting number by stating "smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways". This showed the intelligence and interest of Ramanujan in maths. Ramanujan died of tuberculosis in Madras at the age of thirty-three. In his apology Hardy mentions the list of great mathematicians who all died at young ages.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde- Essay

 

The Model Millionaire

-        Oscar Wilde

“The Model Millionaire” by Oscal Wile first appeared in the newspaper The World in June 1887. It was published as a part of the anthology, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and other Stories. The story deals with various themes like generosity, appearance vs reality and class consciousness.

The plot revolves around Hughie Erskine, a charming but poor young man. All he had was one cavalry sword and a ‘History of Peninsular War’ in fifteen volumes. He received two hundred pounds a year from an aunt. He tried many occupations but failed to achieve success in any profession. Hence, he was jobless with a perfect profile and no profession. 

Hughie was in love with Laura. Her father was a retired Colonel who had served in India. He demanded Hughie to have at least 10,000 pounds before getting engaged to Laura. Since he had no money, he was unable to marry her.

One day on his way to meet Laura, Hughie went to his friend Alan Trevor’s studio.  Hughie found Trevor giving finishing touches to the portrait of a beggar. Trevor was  working on the picture of a wrinkled old man wearing tattered rags, holding out a battered hat for alms. Meanwhile, a servant informed that the frame maker wanted to speak to Trevor. When Trevor went out, the (model) beggar relaxed. Hughie pitied the beggar, and gave him a coin and left to meet Laura. Laura scolded him for his generosity.

Trevor had a hearty laugh when Hughie met him later that day. Trevor explained to Hughie that the old man whom he thought to be a beggar, was Baron Hausberg. He was one of the richest men in Europe. He had commissioned Trevor to paint him as a beggar. Trevor also said that he had told him about the love story between Hughie and Laura. He also informed that the Baron was impressed with him. Soon after, Hughie feeling ashamed and angry went to his home. 

The next morning, a messenger came to Hughie’s house saying that he had come from Baron Hausberg. He had brought a cheque of 10,000 pounds as a wedding gift to Hughie and Laura. Soon their marriage was solemnised in which Trevor became the best-man and Baron made a speech at the wedding breakfast. Alan remarked, ‘Millionaire models are rare enough but model millionaires are rarer still.’ This story illustrates that how a simple act of love and generosity can make a greater impact in one’s life.

A Ring To Me Is Bondage- Essay

 

A Ring to Me Is Bondage

 

-- Mina Assadi

          Mina Assadi, who was born in Iran, is a famous poet, author and journalist. She lives in Sweden as an exile. Her poetry mainly deals with oppression against children and women.

Mina Assadi considers religion as an element of subjugation. She does not think of prayer mats because it is a symbol of religion and bondage. She loves instead to think of gardens and open roads that suggest her desire for freedom. The silk roads are open and free. So a freedom lover like Mina Assadi likes the silk roads rather than prayer mats. Roads, sparrows and walk signify the positive spirit. Prayer-mats, net, cage and gaoler signify unhappiness.   

The poet loves solitude. She is happy with the loneliness of the desert. A lonely desert is home to her because home is where a person is free, happy and secure.  Anything that evokes sadness is ‘love’ to her. Anyone who plucks a flower is blind. Anyone who traps a fish is a murderer. The sea is a source of constant fascination and she is jealous of it. She considers the marriage ring as a bondage because marriage restricts the freedom of women. So Mina Assadi does not like the ‘ring’.

Thus, Mina Assadi introduces herself as a very determined person in the poem, “A Ring to Me Is Bondage”. She calls upon every woman of the world to resist, to battle against oppression of any kind. 

Hardy and Ramanujan by C. P. Snow- Essay

  Hardy and Ramanujan C.P. Snow C.P.Snow's "Hardy and Ramanujan" is an extract of his book Variety of Men . This   prose...