Rajaji Symposium : festschrift for the 65th birthday of G.Rajasekaran

Abstract

When the organising committee of the Rajaji Symposium decided to hold a one-day Symposium in his honour, the response from the community of theoretical physicists was not only spontaneous but also overwhelming. Many of his students, collaborators and colleagues gathered on 22 February 2001 to pay their tributes to him and presented contributions. This is the subject matter of this imsc report.

Rajaji’s research work covers a wide range, starting from hyper-nuclei, S-matrix theory, quantum field theory (in particular gauge theories), high energy physics phenomenology, neutrino physics, gravity and quantum statistics. He has delivered individual and series of lectures on his work in all leading research centres in India and abroad. His lectures have inspired beginners to embark upon their research career and often helped experts to explore new streams of thought. As an example, mention must be made of his lectures on gauge theory, delivered at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Calcutta, which emphasised the importance of gauge theories in particle physics as early as ... This was an year before the proof of renormalisability established the electroweak theory as one of the corner-stones of particle physics. With similar insight, of late, he has been enthusiastically supporting the idea of an India-based Neutrino Observatory.