Early recognition of talent
The grain in Ramanujan had to be discovered by Prof. Hardy. Commenting on the fact Poondi Namasivaya Mudaliar had said with anguish, "It is the destiny of our nation that an Indian brain requires an acknowledgement from foreigner. Why are our people hesitant to appreciate such a personality?
I would like to narrate another incident which took place a few year back. A young man, Loveligen, from a remote area of Kerala, who could not complete PUC, wrote to me saying that he had discovered a new mathematical theory and that he would like to talk to me. I could sense from the letter than the boy was very sincere. I thought our specialist team study his work and direct him to the right type of researchers. I called this boy to Delhi for a few days. What surprised us was that he had arrived at part of the equations of the Ramanujan's number theory, which this boy was not at all aware. He had discovered something and added some new points to it and the result was new.
To great extent, the achievement in the field of the mathematics seem to come out of a desire to took into the beautiful aspects of the nature, including natural phenomena such as the star-studded skies, which have interested the astronomers from time immemorial. An additional contributory factor seems to be an inherent drive towards recognition of patterns, even if it be in the sense of the mathematical sequences or series.
It is interesting to note that Loveligen has currently delved into the equally exciting topic of power sequences and series. What I felt was that he needed a good mathematical education or a patronage of a good mathematics teacher. It is like having Prof Hardly for Ramanujan, for the mathematics genus to flower. I asked this boy, why he hadn't met mathematics teacher. He said, meeting a mathematics teacher was an expedition. Most of the teacher felt it below their dignity to meet somebody who was not even a graduate.
How do we promote these kinds of young and enthusiastic minds? Can our the teacher and philanthropists or the social actives spot these buds and help them to blossom? Those who spot talent and make them blossom will themselves be a different kind of flower, as described in the Bhagwad Gita:
"See the flower, how generously it distributes its perfume and its honey. It gives to all, gives free;y of its love. When its work is done, it falls away quietly. Try to be like the flower unassuming despite all its qualities."
What a beautiful message for all generations of this nation.
I have asked Dr. R. Chidambaram, Dr. R. A. Mashelkar and Prof. N Balakrishnan, great scientists and teacher, to evolve a system to provide an outlet for innovativeness in the budding mathematicians. One of the suggestion that I have is that, to nurture Indian talents, like the way Hardy did for Ramanujan, may of the mathematicians must agree to host these talents at least for few months in their institutions. People like the ones mentioned earlier could become great teacher of tomorrow, by helping to shape the uncut diamonds to polished jewels that we could br proud of, We should create more Ramanujan in te field of mathematical sciences. For this, we also need person with the mind like Prof Hardy to spot geniuses and nature them in all walks of their lives.
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