Srinivasa Ramanujan · Mathematics

Infinite Series and the Chase for Pi

Ramanujan’s astonishing rapidly converging series for 1/π, each term adding roughly eight correct digits; his mastery of continued fractions and the Rogers-Ramanujan identities; and his audacious, intuitive handling of infinite series that Hardy said no one else could have imagined.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that Ramanujan found infinite series for 1/π of extraordinary speed, worked wonders with continued fractions and the Rogers-Ramanujan identities, and treated even divergent series with a bold intuition. Explain what makes a series ‘rapidly converging’ and why his π series matter.

Leads to Archimedes.

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