The profound legacy of the Indian mathematician Ramanujan (1887–1920)

This is the second of two articles on the life and mathematical legacy of the Indian mathematician Ramanujan, who died one hundred years ago. The first article, “The life and times of the Indian mathematician Ramanujan (1887–1920)”, which appeared in the previous issue of Australian Mathematics Education Journal, related the story of Ramanujan’s life. It described his cultural and social background, outlined his educational experienc-es, and hinted at the deep nature of his mathematical discoveries, set alongside a sketch of the humble person who created such wild and fantastic theorems. In this second article, Ramanujan’s mathematical legacy and his place amongst the greatest of Indian mathematicians, and amongst the greatest of math-ematicians from all cultures, is discussed. A selection of examples from Ramanujan’s work is presented. The chosen examples are accessible to secondary teachers of mathematics and their students, and may serve as extension and enrichment for high achieving students.