Kanakanahalli Ramachandra

Kanakanahalli Ramachandra (August 18, 1933 – January 17, 2011) was an Indian mathematician working in both analytic and algebraic theory of numbers. He was one of the world's greatest number theoreticians in his time.

After his father's death at age 13, he had to look for a job. Ramachandra worked as a clerk at the Minerva Mills where Ramachandra's father had also worked. In spite of taking up a job quite remote from mathematics, Ramachandra studied number theory all by himself in his free time; especially the works of Ramanujan.

Ramachandra completed his graduation and post graduation from Central College, Bangalore.

Later, he worked as a lecturer in BMS College of Engineering. Ramachandra also served a very short stint of only six days as a teacher in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Ramachandra went to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay, for his graduate studies in 1958. He obtained his Ph.D. from University of Mumbai in 1965; his doctorate was guided by K. G. Ramanathan.

Between the years 1965 and 1995 he worked at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and after retirement joined the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore where he worked till 2011, the year he died. During the course of his lifetime, he published over 200 articles, of which over 170 have been cataloged by Mathematical Reviews.

His work was primarily in the area of prime number theory, working on the Riemann zeta function and allied functions. Apart from prime number theory, he made substantial contributions to the theory of transcendental number theory, in which he is known for his proof of the six exponentials theorem, achieved independently of Serge Lang. He also contributed to many other areas of number theory. His Erdős number was 1.

In 1978 he founded the Hardy–Ramanujan journal, and published it on behalf of the Hardy–Ramanujan society until his death.

• Elected President of the Calcutta Mathematical Society for the period; 2007-2010
• Elected Vice President of the Calcutta Mathematical Society for the period; 2000-2003
• Meghnad Saha Award, UGC, Hari Om Trust (1976)
• Srinivasa Ramanujan Birth Centenary Award ISCA ; 1994-1995
• Srinivasa Ramanujan Medal; 1997.
• Sir.M.Vishveshwaraya Award of KSCST; 1997
• Editor of Hardy-Ramanujan Journal

• http://www.ams.org/notices/201010/rtx101001335p.pdf.
• ^ http://59.90.235.217/faculty-kramachandra.php.

• Ramachandra, K. (1969), Lectures on transcendental numbers, The Ramanujan Institute Lecture Notes, 1, The Ramanujan Institute, Madras, MR 0260678 
• Ramachandra, K. (1995), On the mean-value and omega-theorems for the Riemann zeta-function, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Lectures on Mathematics and Physics, 85, Published for the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, ISBN 978-3-540-58437-7, MR 1332493