Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian
mathematician born in a tiny village in Tamil Nadu in 1887, a self taught
person
who without any real formal training in pure mathematics, made extraordinary contributions to the world of
mathematics.
During his short life, Ramanujan independently
compiled nearly 3,900 formulas. In 1914,
he moved to Trinity college in Cambridge, thanks to the renowned English
mathematician G.H Hardy, who
realized that Ramanujan had not only re-discovered previously known theorems,
but in addition produced several new ones.
Nearly all Ramanujan’s claims have now been proven correct. Until Ramanujan
started working with Hardy, he developed his own mathematical research in
complete isolation of the mathematical community of his time.
Throughout the film, “The Man Who Saw Infinity”, as Ramanujan
continues to deliver his genius, he is constantly prodded about how he comes up
with his astounding formulas. His
response, “I just know”, as he continues to move from insight to insight, believing his inspiration comes from the Hindu goddess
Namagiri. He
talks about his deep intuitive abilities as he sees things around him the way
they are and in a manner he cannot quite explain. Everything makes sense to
him, be it the sand on the beach, low and high tide, anything really. He speaks of being able to see patterns and rhythms in the universe, and from this, he is able to create mathematical
formula that represent an end result.
Today Ramanujan’s formulas are being used to study the
behaviour of black holes, even though these
objects were virtually unknown during his lifetime.
In physics and cosmology the mathematical universe hypothesis (MUH),
is a speculative “theory of everything” proposed by the cosmologist Max
Tegmark, who states that “our
external physical reality is a mathematical structure”.
And even though there has been ample criticism to his claim, going back
to the subject that I am most well versed with and passionate about, Yoga too refers
to similar concepts. It points to the fact that there is indeed a rhythm and
pattern to everything in our physical reality and the universe that we live in, starting from our very physical
body.
In the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras, Vibhuti Pada,
Patanjali speaks of the ability of us humans to develop supernatural
powers. Really what he is referring to
is our ability to develop in-depth insight and intuition that results in a complete knowing of everything.
The word Yoga means unity.
Essentially we are not isolated beings, but are
inherently embedded in the rhythms and vibrations of this universe that come
together to make up a complete whole. How each one of us finds our individual rhythms
and vibrations that are in sync with ourselves, our environment and the universe, is essentially the ultimate
human journey and one that enables us to go beyond what the limited human mind
can perceive.
Ramanujan, in his short life span delivered mathematical proofs that revealed his genius. Similarly, Yoga tells us that that we have the ability to overcome our greatest difficulties, obstacles and challenges, attaining an end result that is in perfect balance and harmony to everything within us and around us. And according to Yoga, it is simply through unity in thought, emotion, word and action, that we unlock the very keys to transcend the mind and to discover our very own genius.
- Radhika Vachani
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