Lecture to discuss India’s greatest mathematician

AJ Fournier, Campus Reporter

India’s greatest mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, and his work will be the topic of discussion at the third annual Perry Lectures.

The lectures are being hosted by the department of mathematics and computer sciences and are split between two days. They will both be at 4 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 27 in Room 2231 in Old Main.

Mathematics professor Bogdan Petrenko said the goal of the lectures is to teach about the different advances in math.

Bruce Berndt will give the lectures, which are funded through an endowment by former Eastern President Bill Perry.

It will be his first time speaking at Eastern.

The first lecture will be an overview of the notebooks and Ramanujan’s life. The second lecture will give an more in-depth look at Ramanujan’s work and discoveries.

“The goal is to educate people who are not experts in the field of the topics being discussed,” Petrenko said.

Berndt has devoted 20 years to editing the notebooks to show proof of Ramanujan’s claims, for which proof has not been shown in literature.

The lectures began under former Eastern President William Perry, when Petrenko approached Perry with the idea of bringing in prominent mathematicians to speak about advances in mathematics and different subjects within the field.

Petrenko said for the last three years, different subjects have been talked about, with different speakers for each years’ lecture, and the turnout has always been good.

“Last year the room was packed, turnout was excellent and I feel students learned a lot,” he said.

Petrenko said he believes students will learn that they can achieve success in any subject no matter the barriers through the lectures.

AJ Fournier can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].