The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan

“Ramanujan was a simple man. His needs were simple. So were his manners, his humor. He was no idiot savant; he was intelligent in realms outside mathematics, persistent, hardworking, and even, in his own way, charming.”

The first of many character descriptions presented by Kanigel in the book, this one distinguishes Ramanujan’s intellectual authenticity. Ramanujan is known for his mathematical genius, but Kanigel reminds readers of his basic humanity and sets the stage to develop him as a round character.

“They were townspeople. They were poor, but they were urban poor; they inhabited not just the ground on which they lived but a wider world of the mind and spirit.”

The quote here describes Ramanujan’s family and their social position. Although they belonged to the Brahmin caste, his family was poor. Kanigel uses this detail to explain to Western readers—who may associate social status with wealth—that the Indian caste system is different, and Ramanujan’s high social status did not spare him from the struggles of poverty.

“In India, strong ties between son and mother are legendary; close indeed must have been the relationship between Ramanujan and his mother that even his Indian biographers invariably saw fit to comment upon it.”

Kanigel uses the Indian biographers’ portrayal of Ramanujan’s relationship with his mother to support his claim that the attachment between the two was indeed very strong. He prepares readers to discover the impacts that Komalatammal had on her son’s life, both positive and negative.