The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Must-Watch Movie for Math Lovers

“I have heard of Mozart and Beethoven, but who is this guy Ramanujan?” Are you even a math nerd if you have never come across this guy? Srinivasa Ramanujan was a 20th century self taught mathematician from India. He is regarded as one of the top mathematicians of the 20th century. He is ranked among geniuses like Gauss, Euler, Riemann and Newton.

He grew up under unfortunate circumstances in India, but that did not hinder him from making remarkable contributions to mathematics research. He is most famous for his work on infinite series and continued fractions. He was discovered by the English mathematician G.H. Hardy after Ramanujan cold mailed him with samples of his work. G.H. Hardy was impressed by the quality of work produced by someone with very little training in formal mathematics. G.H. Hardy invited him to Cambridge. The movie reenacts Ramanujan’s life in India shortly before departing for England, his life in England and also his personal friendship with G.H. Hardy. I have already watched the film 2 or 3 times on repeat and would highly recommend any aspiring mathematician to watch it as well. You can watch the trailer here