Srinivasa Ramanujan
Srinivasa Ramanujan was a self-taught mathematical genius who, despite having almost no formal training in pure mathematics, made extraordinary contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. His prodigious talent was largely unrecognized until he corresponded with the English mathematician G.H. Hardy at the University of Cambridge, who recognized his brilliance and arranged for him to travel to Cambridge. During his short life, Ramanujan independently compiled nearly 3,900 results—mostly identities and equations—many of which were entirely novel. His intuitive and unconventional approach has continued to inspire mathematicians, and his work has found applications in fields as diverse as crystallography and string theory.