The Indian Genius Nobody Understands

A strange letter arrives at the home of Godfrey Herald Hardy, a mathematician in Cambridge. It's from a young man in India. He says he's poor, never went to university, but he's written down some formulas, and he's asking for feedback. Some of these formulas are the most groundbreaking pieces of math Hardy has ever seen.

Complex equations that even the world's top mathematicians could spend pages trying to unpack. The kind of work only a true genius could produce. A genius unlike any other. A poor boy from India, obsessively writing down formulas, convinced they are messages from the gods.

Someone whose religious beliefs will clash with the world around him. A man shadowed by death at every turn. A mathematician whose creative genius likely doesn't stem from formal academic education, but from the lack of it. Even today, to many, his mysterious formulas remain beyond full understanding.

This is the story of someone who might have won the world's highest honors if only things had gone differently. This is the tragic story of one of the greatest minds in history, Sinovasa Rammenujin, also known as The Man Who Knew Infinity Fern. >> This video is largely based on the book The Man Who Knew Infinity by Robert Canagle. And a quick heads up before we begin.

In this episode, we'll mention depression and attempted suicide. If you don't feel well, don't be shy to get help. Rammanujan grows up in a respected family. They belong to the Brahinss, the highest cast in India.

The cast system plays a central role in Indian society rooted in Hinduism. It dates back thousands of years and divides people into a five- tier hierarchy. At the bottom are the dallets, also known as the untouchables. Often forced into low-paid stigmatized jobs like hand cleaning toilets or collecting garbage.

At the top are the brahinss. They often work as teachers or priests. Each cast is further divided into thousands of smaller subcasts. Rammenujin's parents are vishovid brahinss and they follow the rules that come with their cast strictly.

In India, being part of a higher cast generally means higher wealth. But there are exceptions. Brahmans do not condone public displays of luxury. What truly matters is living a life of mental or spiritual depth while remaining modest.

Ramen's parents are poor. To make ends meet, the family often takes in subtenants for extra ...