THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY

UK, 2016, 108 minutes, Colour.
Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones, Jeremy Northam, Kevin Mc Nally, Devika Bhise, Anthony Calf, Stephen Fry, Richard Johnson.
Directed by Matt Brown.

Dev Patel made a strong impression as a young man in the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire in 2008. He has grown older since then and is able to give a fine performance in an adult role, a man from the Madras in 1914 who has a talent for mathematics.

The film is based on actual events and characters, focusing on S. Ramanujan.

The film opens with a tribute to him spoken by Cambridge mathematician, G. H. Hardy, played with his customary seriousness by Jeremy Irons. The film moves in flashback to Madras, to Indian life in the city, a young married man, rather dominated by his mother, looking for a job and finding a sympathetic manager who introduces him to keeping accounts for British Sir Francis (Stephen Fry). But, the young man has notebooks full of mathematical equations – is not able to explain how he came to them. He relies on intuitions or, as he would interpret them, visions and enlightenment from the deity. He has an ambition to go to Cambridge, to meet Hardy and work with him, to publish his material – but caste customs indicate that he cannot travel abroad from India. However, with support from his wife but apprehensiveness from his mother, he sets out and goes to Cambridge.

He meets with Hardy and his associate John Littlewood (Toby Jones). He is exhilarated to be there. They are amazed, almost overwhelmed, by the amount of material in his two books of formulas. However, he is not entirely welcomed as an Indian in this academic world, especially when World War I breaks out and young British soldiers resent him as they go to war – and bash and kick him.

While many audiences will not be privy to the secrets and beauty of mathematics, they will still enjoyed this picture of a young genius, his earnestness, his willingness to collaborate, his eagerness to publish, the challenge by his mentor to provide rational proofs rather than claim intuition, not something he can easily do (and puzzles why this is necessary). It is always not always easy working with Hardy, a reclusive man whose sole world and life is mathematics but who has to learn, even a little, what it is to be human and to have some sympathy for others.

The study of the natural world is physics. Philosophers tell us that we can mentally abstract from the physical world to a plane of mathematics with its own order and beauty, open to Infinity. Beyond that is metaphysics. There is one moment for the uninitiated when 4 is explained: 1+1+1+1, 1+1+2, 1+3, 2+2, 4 – the several realities of a number which gives them a more complex life.


Ramanujan at one stage goes to a maths class, has an intuition which he writes on the board, only to be rebuked arrogantly and with racist tones by the professor who will later oppose Hardy’s nomination for Ramanujan to be a fellow of the College.

In the meantime, his wife is lonely for him in India, his mother proud of his publication but not forwarding her daughter-in-law’s letters which further isolates both husband and wife.

Ultimately, he will return to India after the end of the war, but suffering from tuberculosis.

At one stage, Hardy shows Ramanujan various manuscripts, including some from Isaac Newton, in the Wren Library in Cambridge – and, the audience will feel an emotional sympathy at the end, viewing one of Ramanujan’s manuscripts preserved in a glass case there.

In many ways the film is uplifting, and despite the mathematical themes, feelgood.

1. The title, indication of philosophical reflection, mathematics, academia? Audience interest?

2. The film based on actual events, the tribute to Ramanujan?

3. Audience knowledge of him? Of mathematics?

4. The locations, India, Madras, the city, homes, poverty, workplaces? The contrast with the United Kingdom, Cambridge University? The atmosphere of World War I, the college quadrangle and the tents, medical care for the wounded? The musical score?

5. Ramanujan’s mother, issues of caste, his not being permitted to travel, his menial job, his wife and her love, the manager admiring his mathematics, getting a job, the interview with Sir Francis and his initial reaction, his writing the letter of support? Wanting to go to England, his mother’s reaction, upset, his wife accepting that he should go, the wharf, on the boat?

6. The opening, with Hardy, his indebtedness to Ramanujan? The discussions about mathematics, its beauty, the visuals of the pages of formulae and equations, the categories of mathematical exploration like Partitions? The explanation of the number 4 and the many
combinations to make 4?

7. Ramanujan arriving in Oxford, the encounter with Littlewood, not allowed to walk on the grass, only for the fellows? The introduction to Hardy? Hardy and his previous reaction to getting the letters, thinking that Littlewood was taunting him? The meeting, the volumes, the amazement of the Cambridge dons?

8. An Indian in Cambridge in 1914, the dining room, the fellow Indian student, the problems with food, vegetarian, his buying vegetables in the market, cooking in his own room? The later consequences of the poor food during the war, the rations? Contributing to his illness? An Indian and the experience of superiority of the British, empire, the war and the young military men bashing and kicking?

9. Hardy and Littlewood, the admiration for his work, the two volumes, the working together?

10. Hardy, his personality, rational, wanting proofs? His love for mathematics? Hard personality, dedicated? His continued smoking, the encounters with Ramanujan, his admiration of the equations but his wanting the proofs?

11. Sending Ramanujan to the class, the equation and his demonstration, the lecturer and his arrogance and racism? His later opposing Ramanujan as a fellow?

12. The tensions, the background of World War I, Hardy and his attitude towards the war, Littlewood and his being seconded, expert on ballistics? The transformation of the quad, the tents, the nurses, wounded, the doctors? Ramanujan and his illness, going to the doctor, collapse, tuberculosis, the bad food, the cold?

13. Partitions, the challenge, Hardy and his continued wanting proofs, Ramanujan wanting to be published, having intuitions, not needing proofs? His delight in the publication of the article? Going to visit Mc Mahon, defying and challenging him, Ramanujan demonstrating his ability, the rivalry? His formulating the proofs, proving Partitions, Mc Mahon conceding that he had succeeded, beingn persuaded to support Ramanujan as a fellow?

14. Bertrand Russell, his reputation, role as a philosopher, friendship with Hardy and Littlewood, the academic jealousy, his stances on the war, his being ousted from Cambridge, going to Oxford?

15. The years passing, Hardy and his work, his severity with Ramanujan, Ramanujan being hurt? Hardy nominating, the opposition, letting him know that the application had failed? More proofs, presenting these to the fellows, Hardy and his speech, his going outside, the good news, Ramanujan coming to the room, the academics knocking the table in acclamation?

16. In India, his wife missing him, writing the letters, her being sad not receiving any, his not receiving her letters, the mother hiding them in the draw, her pride when he was published, the final letters, his wife going to the letter writer, finding the draw, the mother and the motivations, his return?

17. His return to India, reunited with his wife, his continued work, the achievement of four years, the experience, publication, proofs? His death?

18. Hardy, the Wren Library, the statues, the manuscripts, the tree in the quad where Isaac Newton experienced gravity?

19. Ramanujan, his manuscripts, the 1976 discovery, the close-up of the manuscript in the library?

20. Hardy and Littlewood continuing years of work together, Ramanujan’s influence, achievement?

21. The film as a fine tribute, admiration for Ramanujan as a genius?