Abstract
The remarkable powers of C.G.J. Jacobi can be best seen in the theory of theta functions of which he was the founder. Ramanujan has been compared to Jacobi and Euler for sheer manipulative ability. This article describes the life of Jacobi and the monumental contributions he made even though he was plagued with health problems. A discussion of Jacobi’s seminal work on theta functions is included, and a comparison is drawn with Ramanujan’s own theory of theta functions.
This article appeared in The Hindu, India’s National Newspaper, in December 1997 for Ramanujan’s 110th birth anniversary.
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Alladi, K. (2021). C.G.J. Jacobi: Algorist par-excellence. In: Ramanujan's Place in the World of Mathematics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6241-9_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6241-9_8
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