June 17, 1920] 



NATURE 



495 



the real meaning of a formula difficult to grasp. 

 It was natural enough that Ramanujan should 

 feel a little hesitation in giving away his secrets 

 to a mathematician of an alien race. Whatever 

 reservations had to be made, one thing was obvi- 

 ous, that the writer was a mathematician of the 

 highest quality, a man of altogether exceptional 

 originality and power. 



It seemed plain, too, that Ramanujan ought to 

 come to England. There was no difficulty in 

 securing the necessary funds, his own University 

 and Trinity College, Cambridge, meeting an un- 

 usual situation with admirable generosity and 

 imagination. The difficulties of caste and religion 

 were more serious ; but, owing to the enterprise of 

 Prof. E. H. Neville, who happened fortunately 

 to be lecturing in Madras in the winter of 1913-14, 

 these difficulties were ultimately overcome, and 

 Ramanujan arrived in England in April, 1914. 



The experiment has ended in disaster, for after 

 three years in England Ramanujan contracted the 

 illness from which he never recovered. But for 

 these three years it was a triumphant success. In 

 a really comfortable position for the first time in 

 his life, with complete leisure assured to him, and 

 in contact with mathematicians of the modern 

 school, Ramanujan developed rapidly. He pub- 

 lished some twenty papers, which, even in war- 

 time, attracted wide attention. In the spring of 

 1918 he became the first Indian fellow of the Royal 

 Society, and in the autumn the first Indian fellow 

 of Trinity. Madras University endowed him with 

 a research studentship in addition, and early in 

 1919, still unwell, but apparently considerably 

 better, he returned to India. It was difficult to 

 get news from him, but I heard at intervals. He 

 appeared to be working actively again, and I was 

 quite unprepared for the news of his death. 



Ramanujan's activities lay primarily in fields 

 known only to a small minority even amonjr pure 

 mathematicians — the applications of elliptic func- 

 tions to the theory of numbers, the theory of con- 

 tinued fractions, and perhaps above all the theory 

 of partitions. His insight into formulae was quite 

 amazing, and altogether beyond anything I have 

 met with in any European mathematician. It is 

 perhaps useless to speculate as to his history 

 had he been introduced to modern ideas 

 and methods at sixteen instead of at twenty-six. 

 It is not extravagant to suppose that he might 

 have become the greatest mathematician of his 

 time. What he did actually is wonderful enough. 

 Twenty years hence, when the researches which 

 his work has suggested have been completed, it 

 will probably seem a good deal more wonderful 

 than it does to-day. G. H. Hardy. 



Principal Sir John Herkless, D.D., LL.D. 



Sir John Herkless, whose death we regret to 

 announce, was the son of an engineer in Glasgow ; 

 he was born on August 9, 1855, and educated in 

 the High School before entering the University 

 of his native city. His career as a student was 

 varied, and his fellow-students did not think it 

 outstanding. He not only studied arts, but also at- 

 tended medical classes. Like some men who have 

 NO. 2642, VOL. 105] 



afterwards made their mark in life, he disliked 

 mathematics, but was fond of philosophy, and 

 finally he decided to study for the Ministry, and 

 was duly licensed, though he obtained no degree 

 from his Alma Mater. For a short time he lectured 

 on English literature at Queen Margaret College, 

 then became an assistant-minister until 1883, 

 when he was appointed to the parish of Tanna- 

 dice in Forfarshire. 



The death of the eloquent Principal Cunning- 

 ham made a vacancy in St. Mary's College, St. 

 Andrews, and it was rumoured that Dr. Herkless 

 would be appointed to the post (divinity). Prof. 

 Mitchell, however, resigned his chair of Church 

 history, and he was appointed, whilst Prof. 

 Stewart, of Aberdeen, was made principal. About 

 this time the strained relations with Dundee in 

 regard to the medical school, and the claims of 

 St. Leonard's Parish in connection with the 

 College Chapel, gave the forceful new professor 

 of Church history an ample field for polemics. He 

 took the side of Dundee, and opposed the parish. 

 Besides stray papers, he afterwards published two 

 books, viz. "Francis and Dominic " and "Richard 

 Cameron," whilst, along with Mr. (now Prof.) 

 R. K. Hannay, he edited a volume of documents 

 pertaining to St. Leonard's College, and four 

 volumes on the archbishops of St. Andrews. He 

 was chairman of the St. Andrews School for Girls 

 Company. He was appointed principal of the 

 University by Mr. Asquith on the death of the 

 distinguished educationist, Sir James Donaldson. 



Though not a man of original cast of intellect, 

 Sir John Herkless had great versatility and 

 shrewdness, and was not devoid of ambition (as 

 he himself stated), his main field for advancement 

 being politics. He was diligent in his duties as 

 principal, but he had little time to make note- 

 worthy advances. His lamented death on June 11 

 occurred after an operation, and whilst he was in 

 the midst of plans for the improvement of the 

 University. 



The death of Mr. Charles E. Rhodes is an- 

 nounced in 'Engineering for June 11, and will be 

 regretted by a large circle who knew him through 

 his activity in colliery developments. Mr, Rhodes 

 was born in 1849, and died on June 7 last. Since 

 December, 1873, he held the position of engineer- 

 ing manager for Messrs, John Brown and Co,, 

 Ltd,, for whom he sank several shafts and de- 

 veloped a number of pits. He became a member 

 of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1890, and 

 at various times was president of different institu- 

 tions connected with mining. He was appointed 

 a member of the Standing Committee on Mining 

 in 1916, and joined the Coal Conservation Com- 

 mittee in the same year. 



We regret to note that the death of Mr, 

 William Sheldon is recorded in Engineering for 

 June II as having occurred on May 20. Mr. 

 Sheldon was in his sixty-ninth year, and had been 

 connected with the steam plough works belonging 

 to Messrs. Fowler since 1879. He was president 

 of the Leeds Association of Engineers in 1898-99 



