The extraordinary journey of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the mathematical genius from Tamil Nadu, is a celebrated chapter in India's scientific history. While his collaboration with G.H. Hardy at Cambridge is well-documented, the humble Pune-based origin of his published work is a lesser-known fact. Ramanujan's groundbreaking career in print began with the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society (JIMS), a publication that continues its legacy from a modest shared room at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
The Pune Connection: Launching a Legend
Born in Erode in 1887, Ramanujan faced early career struggles after leaving college. His fortunes changed in 1910 after a fateful meeting with V. Ramaswami Aiyar, the founder of the Indian Mathematical Society (IMS). Impressed, Aiyar recommended him to P.V. Seshu Aiyar in Madras, who helped secure Ramanujan a job and introduced his work to the IMS.
This connection led to Ramanujan's historic debut in academic publishing. His first-ever paper, 'Some properties of Bernoulli’s numbers', was published in the third volume of JIMS in 1911. This marked the start of a prolific association; over the next eight years, he published at least 10 more significant papers in the same journal on topics ranging from simultaneous equations to complex integrals.
A Society's Journey and Its Modern Struggles
The Indian Mathematical Society itself has a storied past rooted in Pune. Founded as The Indian Mathematical Club by V. Ramaswami Aiyar in April 1907, it was renamed in 1910. Despite most founders being from Chennai, they chose Pune for its central location. After moving offices for operational ease, the society found a permanent base in 2007 at the Center for Advanced Studies in Mathematics (CASM) at SPPU.
Today, the IMS is a registered non-profit with over 3,500 lifetime members and publishes two respected journals, JIMS and The Mathematics Student. However, its operational reality is starkly modest. It functions from a small room shared with an IGNOU centre at SPPU, a far cry from the full floor originally promised.
Maruti Shikare, Emeritus Professor at JSPM University and General Secretary of IMS, outlined the challenges. "Our editor is in Delhi, the managing editor is in Dhule, the journals are printed in Pune, and they are distributed in Bangalore. So you imagine how all these things are coordinated," he explained. He also noted that while the journals are Scopus-indexed, attracting top global talent requires processes like dual peer-review, which top international journals employ.
The Dream of Ganit Bhavan
Looking to the future, the IMS has a grand vision to secure a permanent home for mathematics. The society purchased an acre of land in 2020 on Alandi Road, near Pune International Airport. Its ambitious plan is to construct a Ganit Bhavan (Mathematics House) at an estimated cost of over Rs 13 crore.
To fund this project, the IMS has been actively appealing for donations from mathematicians and the public through its newsletters and website. While the society owns a flat in Aundh, purchased in 2010, it currently serves only as a storeroom due to its small size, underscoring the need for a dedicated, functional headquarters.
The story of IMS and Ramanujan is a powerful reminder of India's rich mathematical heritage. It highlights how a Pune-based journal nurtured one of the greatest minds of the 20th century. The society's ongoing efforts to build the Ganit Bhavan represent a crucial step towards preserving this legacy and creating a world-class hub for future mathematical discovery in India.
