22nd December

NATIONAL MATHEMATICS DAY 

Celebrating the Legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan

National Mathematics Day is celebrated in India on 22 December, marking the birth anniversary of one of the greatest mathematical minds the world has ever known — Srinivasa Ramanujan. The day honours not only his extraordinary contributions to mathematics but also aims to promote mathematical thinking, innovation, and curiosity among students.

The Government of India declared 22 December as National Mathematics Day in 2012, following an announcement by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, during the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Ramanujan.

Srinivasa Ramanujan: A Mathematical Genius

Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on 22 December 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu. From a very young age, he displayed an exceptional aptitude for numbers. By the age of 12, he had mastered advanced trigonometry and began developing original mathematical results on his own — all without formal higher education.

Despite living in extreme poverty and facing numerous hardships, Ramanujan pursued mathematics with unmatched passion. His notebooks, filled with thousands of results, reveal a mind that worked far ahead of its time.

Contributions to Mathematics:

Ramanujan made remarkable contributions in several areas of mathematics, particularly:

● Number Theory

● Infinite Series

● Continued Fractions

● Modular Forms

● Mathematical Analysis

Many of his formulae appeared so unconventional that they astonished mathematicians worldwide. His work continues to influence modern mathematics, physics, computer science, and even string theory.

Mathematicians have often compared Ramanujan’s genius to that of Leonhard Euler and Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, placing him among the greatest mathematical thinkers in history.

Journey from India to Cambridge: In 1912, Ramanujan received support from R. Ramachandra Rao, and later from Ramaswamy Iyer, founder of the Indian Mathematical Society, who helped him secure a clerkship at the Madras Port Trust.

His life changed dramatically in 1913 when he wrote a letter to G. H. Hardy, a renowned mathematician at the University of Cambridge. Hardy immediately recognised Ramanujan’s brilliance and invited him to England.

At Cambridge, Ramanujan’s collaboration with Hardy led to groundbreaking research, and in 1918, he became one of the youngest Fellows of the Royal Society, one of the highest scientific honours.

A Short Life, An Eternal Legacy: Sadly, Ramanujan’s life was short. He returned to India due to ill health and passed away in 1920 at the age of just 32. However, his mathematical legacy continues to grow.

Even today, Ramanujan’s discoveries are used in:

● The study of black holes

● Understanding entropy and complex systems

● Advanced theoretical physics

● Cryptography and computer algorithms

His intuition-driven approach to mathematics remains a subject of fascination and admiration.

National Mathematics Day: Purpose and Celebrations

Since 2012, National Mathematics Day has been observed across India with:

● Mathematics exhibitions

● Lectures and seminars

● Competitions and quizzes

● Workshops for students and teachers

In 2017, the significance of the day increased with the inauguration of the Ramanujan Math Udyan at Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, a mathematics-themed park designed to inspire learning through interactive exhibits.

The Poet of Infinity: Srinivasa Ramanujan is often described as “the man who wrote poetry about infinity.” He believed that mathematical ideas came to him intuitively, almost as divine inspiration.

As science seeks patterns in everything — from DNA to galaxies — mathematics remains the universal language that deciphers these patterns. Ramanujan’s life reminds us that genius can emerge even in the most challenging circumstances, driven by passion, perseverance, and imagination.

Conclusion: National Mathematics Day is not just a tribute to Srinivasa Ramanujan; it is a celebration of human curiosity and the power of numbers. His story continues to inspire students to think beyond limitations and to explore the beauty hidden in mathematics.

Do You Know?

●Ramanujan left behind nearly 3,900 mathematical results, many of which were discovered decades later to be profoundly important.

●The number 1729, known as the Hardy–Ramanujan number, is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways.

The mathematical genius

 Srinivasa Ramanujan

22 Dec 1887 ~ 26 Apr 1920

He was born in Erode, Madras Presidency. By age 11, he exhausted mathematical knowledge of two college students who were lodgers at his home. By age 13, he mastered book written by S. L. Loney on advanced trigonometry and discovered sophisticated theorems on his own.

At 16, he studied A Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure & Applied Mathematics, G. S. Carr's collection of 5,000 theorems. The book is acknowledged as a key element in awakening his genius.

He developed and investigated Bernoulli numbers & calculated Euler–Mascheroni constant up to 15 decimal places. He received a scholarship to study but lost it as he neglected other subjects

After marrying in 1909 he began a search for employment & met Ramachandra Rao who supported his research for a time, but Ramanujan, unwilling to exist on charity, obtained a clerical post with Madras Port Trust

In 1911 he published papers in Journal of Indian Mathematical Society. In 1913 he began a correspondence with British mathematician Godfrey H. Hardy that led to a grant from Trinity College, Cambridge

Overcoming religious objections, he traveled to England in 1914, where Hardy tutored him & collaborated with him in research.

He worked out Riemann series, elliptic integrals, hypergeometric series, functional equations of zeta function and his theory of divergent series, in which he found a value for the sum of such series using a technique that came to be called Ramanujan summation

He made advances in partition of numbers (the number of ways that a positive integer can be expressed as the sum of positive integers). His papers were published in English & European journals and in 1918 he was elected to Royal Society of London. In 1917 he had contracted tuberculosis & returned to India in 1919

He died leaving behind 3 notebooks and a sheaf of pages containing many unpublished results that mathematicians continued to verify long after his death.

21 DECEMBER

 National Crossword Puzzle Day, U.S.

The first crossword puzzle was created by Arthur Wynne and published on December 21, 1913 in the New York World Newspaper. Wynne’s puzzle was diamond shaped and contained no internal black squares.

However, it was so popular with readers that within a decade crossword puzzles were featured in almost all American newspapers. Crossword lovers get the newspaper for the sole purpose of doing the crossword. So on December 21 let’s celebrate National Crossword Puzzle Day the best way we know how … find one you like and start filling in those squares!

 

20 DECEMBER

 

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN SOLIDARITY DAY

Every year on December 20th, International Human Solidarity Day seeks to celebrate the world’s unity in diversity. It’s also a day to raise awareness about the importance of solidarity.
Solidarity is defined as an awareness of shared interests and objectives that create a psychological sense of unity. Solidarity also refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one.

According to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, solidarity is among the fundamental values that are essential to international relations. The Declaration also states that global challenges must be managed so that costs and burdens are distributed fairly. This is in accordance with the basic principles of equity and social justice. Additionally, those who suffer the least should help those who suffer the most.

The UN is convinced that solidarity creates a spirit of sharing, which is essential for eradicating poverty.

 

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN SOLIDARITY DAY HISTORY

On December 20, 2002, the UN General Assembly established the World Solidarity Fund. The Fund was set up in February 2003 as a trust fund of the United Nations Development Programme. Its objective is to eradicate poverty. It’s also to be used to promote human and social development in developing countries, especially among the poorest segments of their populations.

On December 22, 2005, the UN General Assembly identified solidarity as a universal value. This solidarity should underlie relations between peoples in the twenty-first century. In that regard, the UN proclaimed December 20th of each year International Human Solidarity Day. The date commemorates the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund.

 

19th December, Goa Liberation Day

A golden phase in the freedom struggle

Goa liberation struggle:

19^th December, Goa Liberation Day. On this day, the Portuguese left Goa. Indian army was successful. The small but important state of Goa was liberated. Tricolour hoisted over Goa. The destruction of Goan people, which started from the time the Portuguese set foot on the land of Goa in 1510, ended on December 19, 1961, after almost four and a half hundred (450) years.

Goa is the smallest state in case of area and the fourth smallest state in terms of population. Goa is famous all over the world for its beautiful beaches and folk culture. Goa was a Portuguese colony.

Portuguese entered Goa in 1510:

Goa has always attracted everyone since it is bestowed with natural beauty. The Portuguese were similarly attracted. They entered Goa in 1510 with the intention of establishing a trading colony. 

At that time Adil Shah of Bijapur ruled Goa. After overthrowing the power of Adil Shah, the Portuguese established their power in Goa. India was ruled by British and Goa, Daman and Diu by the Portuguese. On 15^th August 1947, the British lost power in India. But the liberation of Goa was delayed. When the rest of the people of the country were breathing the air of freedom, Goans were still facing the atrocities.

First spark of Goa Liberation struggle:

Although countless activists were working underground to free Goa from the yoke of Portuguese, the first spark was ignited by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya.

Dr. Lohiya was invited by his friend Juliao Menezes to rest for a few days; when he got to see the restrictions imposed by the Portuguese on the Goans.

 He was disturbed to see the exploitation of the Goans and violation of basic rights of Goans by the Portuguese government. He raised his voice against the Portuguese by holding a public meeting at Madgaon on 18 June 1946. This meeting got an unprecedented response. On this occasion, the citizens felt that there is someone who listens to the clamour of Goan people. This was the first spark of the Goa Liberation struggle.

Participation of those who took the path of armed revolution:

During this period, a new generation emerged from Goan soil. In this, many youths like Prabhakar Sinari, Mohan Ranade, Bala Mapari, Vishwanath Lawande came forward. Youth from villages along with these freedom fighters took the path of armed revolution. Armed forces like Azad Gomantak Dal were formed, many youths participated in it. This team was led by Prabhakar Sinari. This armed force successfully carried out many small and big attacks against the Portuguese. Maharashtra also gave valuable support in this struggle. Moreover, people of different views had gathered in this. Many activists from different ideologists united with the consensus that Goa should get independence and conducted themselves in their own way.

Dr. Cunha, the father of the nationalist movement in Goa:

Many freedom fighters participated in this struggle through Satyagraha, among them were Dr. T.B. Cunha, Purushottam Kakodkar, Dr. Juliao Menezes and others. Dr. T.B. Cunha is considered as the father of nationalist movement in Goa. He was sentenced to jail for eight years in Portugal. He was released from there in 1953. After that he started two newspapers named Azad Goa and Swatantra Goa. But unfortunately he died before seeing Goa Liberated.

The Liberation war of 1961 was a very important stage:

The freedom fighters continued their fight without waiting for the orders of the Indian Government. Finally on 18 December 1961, the Indian Government ordered the army to take action through “Operation Vijay”. The Indian army and the freedom fighters were successful in confounding the Portuguese government. The Portuguese army opened heavy fire on freedom fighters at Patradevi, many of them lost their lives.

Finally on 19 December 1961 at ten o’clock in the night, Portuguese Governor Vasal da Silva signed the surrender document and handed it over to the Indian Army chief. Goa was finally freed from 450 years of Portuguese slavery.

After the war of 1961, Portuguese rule in India came to an end. The region of Goa, Daman and Diu was completely freed. The 1961 war or Operation Vijay thus was the last and most important phase of the process of Liberation of Goa. This operation was a decisive part of the Goa Liberation movement. 

BE THE REASON

 BE THE REASON: 1 percent

There are people in this world who have only come across people who have mistreated and hurt them their entire lives.

They don’t know what affection is, they don’t know what it’s like to be talked with kindness, to be shown love or acceptance without conditions. Some don’t even think they’re worth being loved. They are open wounds.

Be the reason someone believes there are still good people in this world. Change their perspective.

Be the reason they can learn to build trust again, and open themselves to letting people in their lives. Because many people have shut down and build walls to protect themselves from getting hurt.

The world is full of people who just want to take from others, rare is it to find people who also want to give, and not just take.

So be that 1%, make a difference. It won’t change the world but it will certain change their world. Giving someone something they’ve never had is truly priceless. Be light!

Everyone you come across has wounds, struggles, traumas and are trying to heal from things they are not to be vocal about.

So, when you enter someone’s life even if it’s just for a minute, try your best to leave them in a better condition than you found them. Be a light in their world.

This doesn’t mean you should fix them; it more about trying to change their perception of the world with your kindness, compassion and love.

BOOK

                             

‘Book’ comes from ‘boc’ in Old English. It is a number of sheets of paper bound together. These sheets carry writing or printing on them.

The first books were written on the papyrus plant by the ancient Egyptians. (‘Paper’ has grown out of ‘papyrus’.) For centuries there were only handwritten books. In 1455, the German inventor of printing, Guttenburg, completely changed book production. (Incidentally, a ‘bookmaker’ has nothing to do with the making of books; it is a person whose business is to take bets, as on horse races.)

Many have written on the importance of books. One says that a good book is the precious life blood of a master spirit. Another holds that it is the purest essence of a human soul. Yet another view sees it as the best friends, the same today and forever. No doubt, the study of books leads us to the study of mankind.

One has to pick and choose the books that one decides to read. Their quality and relevance have to be well considered. Some books are to be tasted; some are to be swallowed; and a few are to be chewed and digested. Reading books is a ready way to learning. But one is likely to become a ‘bookworm’ if one goes on reading too much.

The true foundation of a school, college or university is a collection of books. In the living present, books have largely been replaced by the mobile, computer, tablet and other devices. Yet the legacy of books lingers on.