Freeman Dyson - Early work on Ramanujan and the continued relevance of mathematics (147/157)

To listen to more of Freeman Dyson’s stories, go to the playlist: • Freeman Dyson (Scientist)
Freeman Dyson (1923-2020), who was born in England, moved to Cornell University after graduating from Cambridge University with a BA in Mathematics. He subsequently became a professor and worked on nuclear reactors, solid state physics, ferromagnetism, astrophysics and biology. He published several books and, among other honours, was awarded the Heineman Prize and the Royal Society's Hughes Medal. [Listener: Sam Schweber; date recorded: 1998]
TRANSCRIPT: My first piece of real research was in number theory, directly inspired by Ramanujan, who was this Indian genius who lived in the early 20th century and died in 1921. And, so he had left open a lot of conjectures and I found some fresh conjectures very much in the Ramanujan style and I published those in the student magazine at Cambridge called Eureka. And so that was the earliest work I ever did, and the beautiful thing was that one of these conjectures called the crank conjecture was actually proved 45 years later and that's... so I was very delighted I lived long enough to see this conjecture proved; it was done by... by Frank Garvan who is a young Australian. And so that subject is still very alive, and in fact the whole subject of what I call 'Ramanujanology', which is the sort of number theory in the style of Ramanujan, is now rejuvenated, mostly the result of two people, George Andrews and Bearnt... Bruce Bearnt, two mathematicians who have taken up the systematic exploration of everything Ramanujan conjectured. They've gone through all the notebooks of Ramanujan, proving all the statements that he conjectured, of which there are thousands, so it's been a life work for Andrews and Bruce Bearnt, and so in... and they've attracted a very large number of graduate students over the years so there's now an army of young people involved in this kind of number theory, which is great fun, and of course Frank Garvan is one of them. So the ranks and cranks that I worked on as a student in Cambridge are still very much alive. So that's... that's a big joy for me; it's the beauty of mathematics, as opposed to physics, that it's forever. I published my selected papers recently in one volume, and I found out that when you publish your selected papers most of the physics is ephemeral, that you don't want to publish stuff that was written 10 or 20 years earlier, but the mathematics is permanent. So essentially everything I've ever published in mathematics is there, whereas only about a quarter of what I published on physics was worth preserving.

[@AnilKumar-xl2te]

Ramanujan never dies. Ramanujan lives for infinity.

[@dave9102]

I think he's dead mate.

[@radioactivehalfrhyme]

Which is to say Ramanujan lives for -1/12.

[@georgemissailidis3160]

Poor Dyson passed away early this year. Rest in peace.

[@mannyatyourcorner4043]

Rest in paradise 🙏

[@Mahesh_Meghwal_12]

Rest in peace

[@Mahesh_Meghwal_12]

And plz don't disrespect by saying him poor. He was rich with his intelligence and wisdom. Many people lack it.

[@krappa1234]

@@Mahesh_Meghwal_12 Please least read at least a book or two before trying to correct other people

[@Mahesh_Meghwal_12]

There is some knowledge beyond books. Some practical things out there..... I haven't offended anyone, neither have I corrected anyone ( I know you thought like that). I just passed my opinion as a part of freedom of speech and expression. If u didn't like it, u can mind your own work. My greatest teacher was Nature itself - A philosopher Thank u..

[@gazzaboo8461]

True genius finds itself and teaches itself. They tend to instinctively work things out and develop esoteric ideas outside the normal realms of thinking. They are few and far between. Genius IQ levels without theoretical or inventive thinking is just clever, real genius is altogether different. Dyson, Fermi, Einstein, Feynman, Bohr, Ramanujan, just some of the more recent ones. That is how I know I'm not a genius, or even particularly smart or clever, but I very much appreciate it in those that are.

[@pauldirac808]

You didn’t mention me . I should be top of your list 🎓🎓

[@gazzaboo8461]

@@pauldirac808 my mostest humblest apologies 😀

[@pauldirac808]

Gazza Boo Thank you . Now you can sit at the front of the class and stare in awe at my genius. ⚛️

[@StradexEngine]

I am not a genius neither, not even close to be one. But don't let that make you feel down, actually effort and patience most of the times is enough to achieve things. Also, even if Ramanujan was genius, he was doing math all day, like breathing math. So genius also need effort too most of the times.

[@mahatmagandhi2434]

@@StradexEngine ramanujam was way too into maths , in his last year before death , ramanujam started doing maths even faster , he also invented mocktheta functions before his death , his wife said that she had to keep food in his hands for him to take and eat otherwise he will be doing math allday

[@djtan3313]

The interviewer got eaten by a bear...

[@localspy8876]

he was actually sucked into a jet engine rip

[@us-Bahn]

He really is a good interviewer but there’s got to be a limit to the throat clearings, coughs, dehydration, paper shuffling, door closings and microphone bumps.

[@archangecamilien1879]

Yes...that was something that I found more appealing about mathematics...I mean...the fact that it doesn't change, that when you prove something, it's not going to be "overturned"...

[@pragjyotishbhuyangogoi8363]

Thank you for sharing this wonderfully enlightening series.

[@dresdenkiller]

Love this guy. Makes great vacuum cleaners.

[@Atanu]

@dresdenkiller I love Freeman to bits. But his vacuum cleaners? Too overpriced. (Once in a while he would get complaints about vacuum cleaners, and he'd reply very politely that the complaints were sent to the wrong Dyson :-)

[@govindankandasamy1662]

Condolences to him on his demise . RIP.Hope he will join Ramanujan in the Astral , and inspire Mathemations of the future.

[@surfingsage]

Beautifully insightful statement: mathematics is permanent while physics is ephemeral.

[@vector8310]

Beautiful!

[@robertschlesinger1342]

Interesting and worthwhile video.

[@Ramanujanology]

Ode of one Genius to Another.

[@jnk3775]

So awesome..!

[@bandhanasharma993]

Rest in peace...sir

[@11Kralle]

"Shshshshnoitzzzzzzzrrrrggghh" (Sam Schweber)

[@markhughes7927]

This man!❤

[@us-Bahn]

Good comparison btw math & physics at the end of this segment.

[@willwarden1631]

Someday we will get to find out all the things that Dyson figured out

[@crustyoldfart]

Being an engineer myself, I have great respect for mathematics. That said I have always been puzzled by the Ramanujan phenomenon. Historically it's important to realize that Ramanujan came up with his conjectures apparently driven by pure intuition. He was self-taught in mathematics, having worked from a limited literature. Left to himself he was unconcerned with proof. It was Hardy who tutored him in the mathematical process of proof and theorem. It would be interesting to take a poll of professional mathematicians on whether or not they think it is a good career move to spend time proving Ramanujan's conjectures. Dyson makes the point that mathematics is permanent whereas physics is ephemeral. It's sad that so many of man's achievements vanish " like tears in the rain ". So its alluring to some to contribute to the structure of what we know as the whole edifice of mathematics. I might add that the aim of achieving transcendental fame of this kind seems to be one of the driving forces inculcated at Cambridge in particular.

[@jcreajr]

Harold L POTTS Ramanujjan was extremely religious. You should read his biography.

[@crustyoldfart]

@@jcreajr Actually Joe I've read quite a bit about Ramanujan. As far as I remember he was a high caste Brahmin and followed all its tenets. These included not travelling by sea, and eating only special foods. Both these and other stringent requirements, which were extremely difficult to reconcile in the environment and [ for him ] harsh climate of Cambridge were ultimately to contribute to his early death, and were a torment while he was there. He believed that his work was inspired by Devine communication, and one supposes that he would feel that it might be in some way be sacrilege to call for a formal proof since its truth must be self-evident. As I said before my practical side questions the ultimate value of his conjectures, but my intellectual side is bound to respect its unique insights - and some would say beauty.

[@crustyoldfart]

@Surya Kiran That comes as news to me. I had assumed that classifications such as brahmin or untouchable at the other end of the scale were indeed castes. I'm also aware that in modern India the caste system has been abolished. Do I take it that ' tribe ' has now replaced ' caste ', or am totally confused ?

[@crustyoldfart]

@Surya Kiran I'm obliged to you for your correction and detailed explanation. I suppose that it was inevitable that something so intricate as the system you describe would become oversimplified beyond all recognition by European occupiers. My only contact with anyone even comparable to the great Ramahnujan was another engineer who was a Tamil from South India and also a brahmin. He was a talented and charming fellow [ a PhD form University of Toronto ] and was working [ostensibly under my direction ] on his own on an advanced electrical power system with variable voltage and frequency output at the 800KVA level. I regret losing contact with him after our careers went their separate ways.

[@adithyadanaj9768]

@@crustyoldfart Actually it does come in use. Like Mock theta functions did. We just haven't found where to use it yet. But we'll find it one day. That's why Dyson said Mathematics is permanent. Nothing goes to waste in mathematics.

[@Waterfront975]

I like mathematics in that way, that it is the language of logic and truth, which are forever.

[@noahway13]

Who the hell was blowing his nose?

[@albertweedsteinthethuggeni7797]

He went to my school. G h Hardy also went to the same school. David thouless Nobel physics prize winner also went to my school

[@edwardjones2202]

Winchester Your parents are rich

[@MustangKepler]

this guy worked nuclear rocket that worked like bomb bomb bomb

[@naimulhaq9626]

Mathematical formulations are not always permanent and their 'a priori' nature is not proved within the body of 'axioms'. Laws of physics are subject to proof and verification/observation, making them less permanent. But they can have a permanent appeal, like the Feynman's SINGLE probability wave function governing all processes in the universe, Einstein's SR and GR, Copenhagen interpretation of QM etc. (the problem begins when space, time, mass, charge, spin etc., need to be defined). However, within the limitations, it is spellbinding that humans can know all and prove all (given enough time)and describe reality.

[@maxmustermann7030]

That's not true. Humasn can't prove all. Gödel proved that there are true statements, that can't be proven.

[@AmarYadav-qy6sp]

Abe mc mathematics is part of physics first chutiyaa

[@Xyz-tx6cy]

Is this man Dyson a novel Laurette?

[@Peter-tx5dj]

Sadly not. He'd qualify as the best scientist without a nobel prize imo

[@matthewparker4532]

He didn't really stay on one topic enough to win a nobel

[@rationalsceptic7634]

Ramunajan died in August 1920 not 1921

[@malathibhat9754]

Ramanujan was a legendary proof that even people from former undeveloped colonies can be geniuses admired by the most developed nations

[@miroslavlucic7939]

ramanujan was legend,,,,,don't think some bull shit advance west countries are more advance than colonies,,,god bless

[@dougr.2398]

India was far ahead of Western culture in mathematics ....at a surprisingly early time.... “formerly undeveloped”, indeed! Colonialist!!

[@guitaoist]

no one will ever surpass Ramanujan, mainly because he said he got his formulas from a spiritual entity and therefore the west has little chance with their mere logic.

[@bedok77]

If by spiritual you mean subconscious , then I'd have to agree.

[@ashkara8652]

Spiritual entity definitely doesn't mean subconscious

[@dalailamabama]

You are a complete moron. I say this as an Indian. Stop defaming my country, moron.

[@earendilthebright5402]

@Tangent of circle. His biography has nothing to do with the idiocy of the comment. There are many reasons Ramanujan may never be surpassed, but prophetic divination is not one of them.

[@earendilthebright5402]

@Tangent of circle. Then you are merely attributing some aspect of insight/intelligence to divinity, which is most unscientific. It's not relevant that Ramanujan had his own belief system and associated his genius to the whisperings of God. If he were to be of a different faith he would have attributed his genius to a different God. Unimportant. What he actually did was important, not his belief in how he got there.

[@dougr.2398]

Phooey, Physics is not ephemeral. All knowledge advances