Life & Faith

Life & Faith: Beautiful Proof


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“An equation for me has no meaning unless

it expresses a thought of God.” – Srinivasa Ramanujan

Ramanujan was a self-taught mathematical

genius from India, who moved to Cambridge University in 1914 to work with the
eminent mathematician, GH Hardy 

His story, as told in the movie The Man Who Knew Infinity, not only

tells of a brilliant mind capable of remarkable work, but of an unlikely
friendship between a devout Hindu, and an atheist who was a stickler for
proofs.

“Your theorem is wrong,” Hardy tells

Ramanujan in the movie, “this is why we cannot publish anymore until you
finally trust me on this business of proofs.”

Once described as “the most romantic figure

in recent mathematical history”, Ramanujan’s life also speaks to the idea of
finding beauty in maths – and this is what we explore in this episode of Life
and Faith.

You’ll hear from a homegrown mathematician

about how Ramanujan’s work has been influential in her own. Then, Oxford
mathematics professor, John Lennox, shares his thoughts about the beauty of the
world of numbers and patterns. Finally, we wrap up the episode with a beautiful
poem from former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams – you won’t want to
miss it.

“Why are numbers beautiful? It's like

asking why is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony beautiful. If you don't see why,
someone can't tell you. I know numbers are beautiful. If they aren't beautiful,
nothing is.” – Paul Erdős

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