How did Ramanujan largely learn advanced math?

Self-taught from a book of results

Why is 1729 called the Hardy-Ramanujan number?

It is the smallest number expressible as a sum of two cubes in two ways

Srinivasa Ramanujan Quiz With Answers: Test Your Knowledge

This Srinivasa Ramanujan quiz covers his self-taught genius in India, his famous letter to G.H. Hardy, his years at Cambridge, the taxicab number 1729 and his notebooks of formulas. Test your knowledge with 10 questions on one of history's great mathematicians.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Birth
Where was Ramanujan born in 1887?
Learning
How did Ramanujan largely learn advanced math?
Letter
Which Cambridge mathematician received Ramanujan's letter in 1913?
Taxicab
Why is 1729 called the Hardy-Ramanujan number?
Society
Ramanujan was elected to which society in 1918?
Pi
Ramanujan found fast-converging formulas for what?
Notebooks
Which collection was rediscovered in 1976?
Death
How old was Ramanujan when he died in 1920?
Day
India celebrates National Mathematics Day on his birthday. When is it?
Film
Which 2015 film told his story?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Where was Ramanujan born in 1887?
Answer: Erode, in southern India
He grew up in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.
Q2: How did Ramanujan largely learn advanced math?
Answer: Self-taught from a book of results
Carr's Synopsis inspired him.
Q3: Which Cambridge mathematician received Ramanujan's letter in 1913?
Answer: G.H. Hardy
Hardy recognized his genius.
Q4: Why is 1729 called the Hardy-Ramanujan number?
Answer: It is the smallest number expressible as a sum of two cubes in two ways
Hardy's taxi had that number.
Q5: Ramanujan was elected to which society in 1918?
Answer: Royal Society
He was one of its youngest fellows.
Q6: Ramanujan found fast-converging formulas for what?
Answer: Pi
Computers use related formulas.
Q7: Which collection was rediscovered in 1976?
Answer: The lost notebook
George Andrews found it.
Q8: How old was Ramanujan when he died in 1920?
Answer: 32
He became ill in England.
Q9: India celebrates National Mathematics Day on his birthday. When is it?
Answer: December 22
It began in 2012.
Q10: Which 2015 film told his story?
Answer: The Man Who Knew Infinity
Dev Patel played him.

Srinivasa Ramanujan Quiz – The Man Who Knew Infinity

Srinivasa Ramanujan was born in southern India in 1887 and taught himself advanced mathematics, filling notebooks with original formulas. Lacking formal training, he struggled to find support at first.

In 1913 he wrote to G.H. Hardy at Cambridge, who invited him to England. Together they produced remarkable results in number theory, partitions and infinite series, and Ramanujan became a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Ramanujan's health failed in England, and he died in India in 1920 at just 32. His notebooks still inspire mathematicians, and many of his formulas found applications decades later.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is for math fans exploring Ramanujan's life.

Where he was born
How he learned math
Who he wrote to
What 1729 means
Which film tells his story

Did You Know?

He was a Fellow of Trinity College.
His work applies to string theory.
India issued a stamp in his honor.
He worked as a clerk in Madras.
His formulas are still being proved.