20 Srinivasa Ramanujan Quiz Questions and Answers

1. Question: When and where was Srinivasa Ramanujan born?
Options: A) December 22, 1887, in Erode, India
B) January 1, 1880, in Madras, India
C) February 15, 1885, in Calcutta, India
D) March 10, 1890, in Bombay, India
Answer: A
Explanation: Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on December 22, 1887, in Erode, a town in the Madras Presidency of British India, marking the beginning of his remarkable life in mathematics.

2. Question: What was Ramanujan’s early educational background?
Options: A) He graduated from Cambridge University
B) He was largely self-taught after failing college due to his obsession with mathematics
C) He earned a doctorate from the University of Madras
D) He attended formal schooling up to high school and then pursued advanced degrees
Answer: B
Explanation: Ramanujan had little formal training; he failed college exams because he focused intensely on mathematics, leading him to become largely self-taught through books and his own explorations.

3. Question: Who was the British mathematician that recognized Ramanujan’s genius and invited him to Cambridge?
Options: A) Isaac Newton
B) G.H. Hardy
C) Bertrand Russell
D) Alan Turing
Answer: B
Explanation: G.H. Hardy, upon receiving Ramanujan’s letters with groundbreaking theorems, recognized his talent and invited him to Cambridge University in 1914, fostering their famous collaboration.

4. Question: What is Ramanujan’s most famous formula related to pi?
Options: A) Euler’s formula
B) The Ramanujan-Sato series
C) Pythagoras theorem
D) Bernoulli’s equation
Answer: B
Explanation: The Ramanujan-Sato series is one of his formulas for pi, known for its rapid convergence, showcasing his innovative approach to infinite series in mathematics.

5. Question: How many notebooks did Ramanujan leave behind with his mathematical work?
Options: A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
Answer: C
Explanation: Ramanujan left behind three notebooks filled with thousands of formulas and theorems, which continue to be studied and verified by mathematicians today.

6. Question: What is a “Ramanujan prime”?
Options: A) A prime number that appears in his personal diary
B) A prime number greater than a certain value with a specific property related to the prime-counting function
C) A type of infinite series he discovered
D) A mathematical constant he defined
Answer: B
Explanation: A Ramanujan prime is a prime number p such that for all n > p, the prime-counting function of n minus the prime-counting function of n/2 is at least 1, extending his work in number theory.

7. Question: In what year did Ramanujan first publish his work in a mathematical journal?
Options: A) 1911
B) 1916
C) 1904
D) 1920
Answer: A
Explanation: Ramanujan’s first paper was published in 1911 in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society, marking his entry into the global mathematical community.

8. Question: What health condition contributed to Ramanujan’s early death?
Options: A) Tuberculosis
B) Heart disease
C) Malaria
D) Cancer
Answer: A
Explanation: Ramanujan suffered from tuberculosis, which weakened his health and led to his death at the age of 32 in 1920, cutting short his prolific career.

9. Question: What is the famous “taxicab number” associated with Ramanujan and Hardy?
Options: A) 1729
B) 1001
C) 2468
D) 3141
Answer: A
Explanation: 1729 is the smallest number that can be expressed as the sum of two cubes in two different ways (1^3 + 12^3 and 9^3 + 10^3), a fact Ramanujan pointed out to Hardy, illustrating his deep insight into number theory.

10. Question: Which university awarded Ramanujan a Bachelor of Science degree in absentia?
Options: A) University of Oxford
B) University of Cambridge
C) University of Madras
D) Trinity College
Answer: B
Explanation: Cambridge University awarded Ramanujan a Bachelor of Science degree in 1916 in absentia, recognizing his contributions despite his lack of formal qualifications.

11. Question: What did Ramanujan claim as the source of his mathematical ideas?
Options: A) Dreams and visions from a goddess
B) Extensive library research
C) Collaboration with other mathematicians
D) Formal university training
Answer: A
Explanation: Ramanujan often attributed his mathematical insights to dreams and visions from the Hindu goddess Namagiri, reflecting his spiritual approach to mathematics.

12. Question: How many theorems and formulas are estimated to be in Ramanujan’s notebooks?
Options: A) Around 500
B) Over 3,000
C) Exactly 1,000
D) Less than 200
Answer: B
Explanation: Ramanujan’s notebooks contain over 3,000 theorems and formulas, many of which were original and have since been proven correct.

13. Question: What was Ramanujan’s role in the development of partition functions in number theory?
Options: A) He ignored it completely
B) He provided asymptotic formulas for the partition function
C) He invented the concept
D) He applied it only to geometry
Answer: B
Explanation: Ramanujan developed asymptotic formulas for the partition function, which counts the ways to write a number as a sum of positive integers, advancing the field significantly.

14. Question: In what year did Ramanujan become the first Indian to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society?
Options: A) 1918
B) 1920
C) 1915
D) 1910
Answer: A
Explanation: Ramanujan was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918, becoming the second Indian to receive this honor and highlighting his international recognition.

15. Question: What is Ramanujan’s formula for the sum of squares of the first n natural numbers?
Options: A) n(n+1)(2n+1)/6
B) It’s the same as the formula for the sum of the first n numbers
C) He didn’t work on sums of squares
D) 2n(n+1)
Answer: A
Explanation: Although the formula n(n+1)(2n+1)/6 is often attributed to others, Ramanujan worked on related series and sums, contributing to its deeper understanding in his context.

16. Question: Which of Ramanujan’s works involved mock theta functions?
Options: A) His early school notebooks
B) His later papers on partitions
C) Infinite series for pi
D) Geometry of circles
Answer: B
Explanation: Ramanujan’s mock theta functions, introduced in his later works, are related to partitions and q-series, influencing modern mathematics like string theory.

17. Question: What award did Ramanujan receive from the University of Madras in 1913?
Options: A) A full scholarship to Cambridge
B) The Ramanujan Prize
C) A gold medal for mathematics
D) A research fellowship
Answer: D
Explanation: In 1913, Ramanujan was awarded a research scholarship by the University of Madras, which helped support his work before his move to England.

18. Question: How did Ramanujan describe the number 1729 to Hardy?
Options: A) As a boring number
B) As the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two ways
C) As a prime number
D) As an infinite series
Answer: B
Explanation: Ramanujan told Hardy that 1729 was the smallest number that could be expressed as the sum of two positive cubes in two different ways, demonstrating his number theory prowess.

19. Question: What is the Ramanujan theta function primarily used for?
Options: A) Solving algebraic equations
B) Elliptic functions and modular forms
C) Basic arithmetic
D) Calculus derivatives
Answer: B
Explanation: The Ramanujan theta function is a key tool in the study of elliptic functions and modular forms, bridging number theory and analysis.

20. Question: What posthumous recognition did Ramanujan receive in India?
Options: A) A national holiday
B) The Ramanujan Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics
C) A statue in London
D) A film about his life
Answer: B
Explanation: The Ramanujan Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics was established in Chennai, India, to honor his legacy and promote mathematical research.