History: January 16 (#1)

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January 16, 1913 Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan writes his first letter to G. H. Hardy at Cambridge, stating without proof various formulae involving integrals, infinite series, and continued fractions, beginning a long correspondence between the two as well as widespread recognition of Ramanujan's results.

Commentary

On January 16, in the year 1913: Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan writes his first letter to G. H. Hardy at Cambridge, stating without proof various formulae involving integrals, infinite series, and continued fractions, beginning a long correspondence between the two as well as widespread recognition of Ra manujan's results. A continued fraction is a mathematical expression written as a fraction whose denominator contains a sum involving another fraction, which may itself be a simple or a continued fraction. Why January 16, 1913 matters: Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan writes his first letter to G. H. Hardy at Cambridge, stating without proof various formulae involving integrals, infinite series, and continued fractions, beginning a long correspondence between the two as well as widespread recognition of Ramanujan's results. What began on this day left a lasting mark on history. The effects were felt immediately and continued to shape events, ideas, and lives long afterwards. Historical context: January 16, 1913 The 20th century brought rapid advances in health, communication, science, and technology that reshaped everyday human experience. The event on this day: Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan writes his first letter to G. H. Hardy at Cambridge, stating without proof various formulae involving integrals, infinite series, and continued fractions, beginning a long correspondence between the two as well as widespread recognition of Ramanujan's results. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continued_fraction (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Sources: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)