Back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back
   


OUTBREAK OF FIRST WORLD WAR

 
Trinity College,
13th Nov. 1914
  
My dear Krishna Rao,  

               Ananda Rao has joined the King’s College and settled quite comfortably. He is also coming to this College to attend some lectures.

I am attending only some of the University lectures. A few students from America and Japan have come here to attend these lectures.

I am very slowly publishing my results owing to the present war. A lecturer here whom I know well and from whom I received some help to publish my results has gone to war. The other professors here whom I know have lost their interest in Mathematics owing to the present war.

One of the professors here, some days back, remarked that I have come to England in the most unfortunate time.

I have changed my plan of publishing my results. I am not going to publish any of the old results in my notebook till the war is over. After coming here I have learned some of their methods. I am trying to get new results by their methods so that I can easily publish these results without delay.

In a week or so I am going to send a long paper to the London Mathematical society. The results in this paper have nothing to do with those of my old results.

 

I have published only three short papers, two of which I have sent your uncle. For the mathematical side you may ask Mr. Seshu Iyer or your uncle whenever you meet them.

I don’t write anything about the war, so that the letter may reach you safely.

I was silent so long as I had nothing to write to you. Here after I may tell you something about my progress as the professors here are somewhat reviving their lost interest in Mathematics.

As for my food I have no other go but to cook myself.

  
There is no place very near this College where I can get vegetarian food and I can’t go out of the College. I am getting some of the Indian things here. I will be very much obliged if you can send me some tamarind (seeds being removed) and good cocoanut oil by postal parcel through the cheapest route. Cocoanut oil is the best as it will be solid owing to cold and won’t be spoiled. I can use lemons instead of tamarind if they are sour; but unfortunately the lemons here are not sour like our lemons and moreover they are not properly lemons at all but they are sweet Narthängaai. I can receive the things only in proper order if you send me by postal parcel, otherwise it will be very difficult for me to go to London harbour to receive the things. I beg to be excused for the trouble.
  
Yours sincerely

S. Ramanujan.