The Indian Clerk by David Leavitt

The extraordinary true story of the discovery of one of the greatest mathematicians

January, 1913, Cambridge. G.H. Hardy – eccentric, charismatic and considered the greatest British mathematician of his age – receives a mysterious envelope covered with Indian stamps. Inside he finds a rambling letter from a self-professed mathematical genius who claims to be on the brink of solving the most important mathematical problem of his time. Hardy determines to learn more about this mysterious Indian clerk, Srinivasa Ramanujan, a decision that will profoundly affect not only his own life, and that of his friends, but the entire history of mathematics. Set against the backdrop of the First World War, and populated with such luminaries as D.H. Lawrence and Bertrand Russell, The Indian Clerk fashions from this fascinating period an utterly compelling story about our need to find order in the world.

When asked in an interview what his greatest contribution to maths was, Hardy unhesitatingly replied that it was the discovery of Ramanujan - 'the one romantic incident in my life'. As the story of this unlikely companionship unfolds, David Leavitt evokes the furtive, claustrophobic world of pre-war Cambridge. Together with Russell, Wittgenstein and Strachey, Hardy was part of the elitist secret society, The Cambridge Apostles. The public achievements of these famous academics are well-known, but in "The Indian Clerk", we see them as men of esprit and passion, with their shortcomings and frailties. Sophisticated, intelligent and elegantly written, "The Indian Clerk" is an absorbing portrait of a prodigiously talented group of men

ISBN : 9780747596325
Publisher : Bloomsbury
Pages : 496pages
Bound : Paper Back
Date : Dec 08
Price : £7.99
Axis Price : 395.00