Srinivasa Ramanujan remains a household name in India — a legend whose brilliance defined an era. Yet Ramanujan’s genius might have remained unknown were it not for G.H. Hardy, the British mathematician who recognised his extraordinary talent and nurtured it at Cambridge. A similar story unfolded decades later with Professor Conjeevaram Srirangachari Seshadri, whose mathematical promise was first identified by Fr. C. Racine, a Jesuit mathematician at Loyola College, Chennai. Fr. Racine’s encouragement inspired Seshadri to pursue research, nurturing a spark that would later illuminate Indian mathematics.
Born on February 29, 1932, in Kanchipuram, Seshadri was the eldest of twelve children of C. Srirangachari, a respected advocate, and Chudamani. His formative years in Chengalpattu were marked by curiosity and quiet discipline — qualities that would later shape both his mathematical and musical pursuits. After completing his schooling locally, he joined Loyola College in 1948, where the encouragement of Fr. Racine and Prof. S. Narayanan firmly set him on the path of mathematics. For Seshadri, mathematics was not merely a collection of rules and formulas but a living art capable of evoking beauty and insight, much like music.
After completing his bachelor’s degree at Loyola College, Seshadri joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai in 1953, then a burgeoning hub for India’s brightest scientific minds. There he forged a lifelong partnership with M.S. Narasimhan, his schoolmate and later colleague, who had also studied at Loyola. Together, they produced the celebrated Narasimhan–Seshadri Theorem, a landmark result bridging algebraic geometry and differential equations. This work transformed the field and reflected Seshadri’s intuitive sense of elegance and harmony — qualities mirrored in his deep love for music.
After completing his doctoral thesis in Bombay, Seshadri spent three years (1957–1960) in Paris, immersed in the rigour and sophistication of the French mathematical school. He interacted with towering figures such as Claude Chevalley, Henri Cartan, Alexander Grothendieck, and Jean-Pierre Serre. This exposure profoundly shaped his approach to mathematics — as both a logical discipline and a creative art — and fostered the conceptual clarity, geometric intuition, and structural elegance that became hallmarks of his work. It also strengthened his belief in the value of collaborative inquiry, a philosophy that later informed his mentoring style.
Returning to TIFR in 1960, Seshadri helped transform the School of Mathematics into a centre of international repute. As Prof. M.S. Raghunathan — himself a distinguished mathematician who played a pivotal role in TIFR’s success — recalled, Seshadri was among the architects who elevated the school from a modest research group to a globally respected institution. His mentorship was as impactful as his research: he guided young mathematicians with patience and humility, celebrating their achievements while remaining characteristically unassuming about his own. “He had a self-effacing charm that won him friends instantly,” Raghunathan observed.
In 1984, Seshadri returned to Chennai and joined the Institute of Mathematical Sciences. His vision of a research-led undergraduate teaching institute culminated in the founding of the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), supported by AC Muthiah and the SPIC Science Foundation. CMI embodied his philosophy — rigorous inquiry, intellectual independence, and the seamless integration of teaching and research.
His former student and collaborator, Prof. V. Balaji of CMI, remembered Seshadri’s lectures as “meticulously prepared and often spartan, yet every session offered something profound — a takeaway for an aspiring researcher.” Praise from Seshadri was rare and deeply meaningful. After Balaji once presented a piece of work, Seshadri remarked, “There is meat in your work. Now I can say you are a mathematician.” Balaji also recalled Seshadri’s intellectual generosity: he shared ideas freely, expecting only diligence in their pursuit. His humility, humour, and broad interests — spanning philosophy, politics, and music — endeared him to all who knew him.
Seshadri’s devotion to Carnatic music was as deep as his passion for mathematics. Trained initially by his grandmother, a disciple of Nainapillai, and later by Pallavur Mani Iyer, he mastered the compositions of Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Sastri. Balaji described his music as having “a royal gait profoundly suited to expressing Dikshitar’s kritis,” reflecting a spiritual depth born of lifelong sadhana: his wife, late Smt. Sundari Seshadri, an accomplished Carnatic vocalist, shared his musical interests. Even in his later years, he continued mentoring young musicians at CMI, embodying the same discipline and elegance he brought to mathematics — where every theorem, like every raga, demanded both intellect and heart.
Prof. David Mumford, the Harvard mathematician, remembered Seshadri for his brilliance and humanity—their friendship, which began in the early 1960s, spanned continents and decades. Mumford admired how Seshadri bridged cultures effortlessly — Indian and Western, scholarly and artistic — living simply yet advocating persuasively for the cause of mathematics. “He lived simply,” Mumford wrote, “yet could speak with conviction to ministers and officials when mathematics needed support.”
Seshadri received numerous honours, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Fellowship of the Royal Society, TWAS Science Prize, and the Padma Bhushan. Yet his enduring legacy lies in his vision, mentorship, and integrity. Prof. K. Chandrasekharan, a pioneering mathematician at TIFR, captured this best: “I cherish the values that inspired the creation of CMI and your unswerving commitment to those values.” These values — integrity, clarity, and generosity — defined Seshadri’s life as much as his work.
He often encouraged exceptionally talented students to consider mathematics as a fulfilling vocation, emphasising that a life devoted to the subject could harmoniously blend intellectual satisfaction with professional success. For Seshadri, mathematics resonated like a well-composed raga — one had to feel it deeply to master it truly.
Even as illness slowed him in later years, Seshadri remained intellectually vibrant and musically active. He passed away on 17 July 2020, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations. His life was a rare harmony of thought and art, reason and feeling. He transformed Indian mathematics not through force or fame, but through quiet brilliance, generosity, and enduring grace. His theorems will continue to shape the field, but it is his humanity — his humility, warmth, and faith in others — that will be remembered longest.
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