The Man Who Knew Infinity Page #5

Mr. Littlewood has calculated a number

and it shows that your theorem

will sometimes predict less,

not more,

than the actual number of primes.

Your theorem is wrong.

And this is why we cannot publish anymore

until you finally

trust me on this business of proofs.

Intuition can only carry you so far.

Stop!

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

I... I can't hear this anymore.

Intuition?

You say this word as if it is nothing.

Is that all it is to you? All that I am?

Look, I'm sorry.

Am I... I'm missing something.

(BREATHING SHARPLY)

You've... You've never even seen me,

let alone know me.

You... You are a man of no faith!

I don't see pictures of anyone here!

Not even family! Who are you, Mr. Hardy?

How dare you...

How dare you judge me?

But it is you

who does of me! Don't you see?

No.

Quite frankly, I don't!

Don't you know

what I've given up to be here?

I have nothing.

Do you even see the bruises on my face?

I have a wife, Mr. Hardy.

(CRIES OF PAIN)

(BIRDSONG)

(CLATTERING AT DOOR)

Ah.

At last.

Ramanujan? Is that you?

Mr. Hardy.

You're not well?

Nothing serious.

Sure?

Oh.

I'm just off to the Wren.

Believe it or not, if you can

find your way round the beds,

there are still some books there.

Those proofs you left...

Wonderful.

Really wonderful.

So, we start work again?

Tomorrow morning?

- Yes, sir.

- Good.

(GROANS SOFTLY)

(BELLS TOLLING)

My regards to your fine wife.

Thank you so much.

Good day, gentlemen.

I'm very sorry, sir.

He was a fine young man.

Best... Best of his year.

They were all fine young men.

All the knowledge they gained here.

Sacrificed for a few yards of land.

They say it's the price of victory. Hmm?

Come, Bertie.

I'm worried about Ramanujan.

Why?

Well, he doesn't seem quite himself.

What would you know about that?

Very little, I admit.

But I don't think he's well.

He seems to have changed.

We had a terrible row the other night

about intuition,

of all things, and he stormed out.

And then a day later he

produces these wonderful proofs.

Well, Harold, you've got your way.

How do you mean?

You and your damned

rigor has finally broken his spirits.

I warned you to let him run.

Yeah, well, he's not a bloody racehorse.

No, he's not.

But as you've hardly treated him as

a human being, I suppose...

Well, I suppose a horse

isn't a bad place to start.

Major, can I have a word?

I don't have time for you!

Partitions!

It's Ramanujan.

The gall.

The unbridled arrogance.

He won't be able to do it without you.

He won't be able to do it at all.

(SHIVERING)

(COUGHING)

I've been going over

your work on partitions.

Seems to me you're

on the verge of a major breakthrough.

So now you've

begun to embrace some proper rigor...

I think you should meet Major MacMahon.

He's the leader

in combinatorics at the University and...

Also happens to be

one of your most vocal opponents.

He says partitions can't be done.

Especially by the likes of you.

Then he better start counting very high.

(KNOCKING)

MACMAHON:
Enter at your own risk!

Ah.

I've been waiting for you.

Square root of 58,639? Now!

242 what?

Point 1549090.

Yes, child's play. Try me.

(LAUGHS) Go on.

Same number squared.

3,438,532,321.

- Ha! Thrashed ya!

- (CHUCKLES)

Combinatorics, that's what I do.

Glorified dice throwing.

(SIGHS)

Bloody nerve of you both.

You fail on primes,

then you think you can just turn

round and crack partitions?

Can't be done, I'm telling you.

Especially not by you.

It can.

And I will.

No, I will.

By hand.

By slow and painful addition,

and then you can be absolutely certain

that whatever formula you two can dream

up will be quite wrong.

Then you can crawl back under whatever

rock you came from in India

and we can put

to bed this charade of yours, Hardy.

Now, how high do I have to go?

P of 200 should do.

I really can do it.

Well, here we are, P of 200.

The moment of truth.

You know, I was stationed in Madras once.

Yeah.

Well, you first.

What has your formula given you?

3,972,998,000,000.

My God.

You're close.

Within 2%.

Well, I'll be damned.

Major MacMahon, may I introduce you

to Mr. Ramanujan.

(COUGHS)

(GROANS)

- (GRUNTS)

- How long?

Three weeks.

Mmm-hmm. And the fever?

- Longer.

- Breathe in.

(INHALES)

Breathe in.

Well, it's not good.

You've all the early signs of tubercula.

I'm sorry.

You're a breeding ground for infection.

I'm so sorry, Ramanujan.

Hardy can never know.

BOY:
Run! Run!

(CROWD CLAMORING)

It's a zeppelin!

- (BOMB WHIZZES PAST)

- Come on, Ram!

(SCREAMING)

- Over here!

- (BOMB WHIZZES PAST)

(SHOUTING)

(EXPLOSIONS)

I'm being punished.

It's just the fever.

(SIGHS)

(SINGS SOFTLY)

Has he wrote yet?

No.

Where are you going?

(BELL TOLLS)

(SOBS)

You forgot me.

(SOBBING)

You see, you were right.

Cauchy's theorem will work.

It's just leading to the circle concept.

At 2,000, it should bring it down to...

Less than 1 % or so.

And as N goes to infinity...

The error goes to zero.

You see? You're beginning to

see the nuances and complexities,

which you were

only catching at a glance before.

What an unlikely team we make.

If we really crack partitions, this will be

a monumental breakthrough.

(SIGHS)

Did I tell you I've...

I've put you up for a Fellowship?

Mr. Hardy,

thank you.

(COUGHS)

Are you getting enough to eat?

I mean, I know there are shortages,

but there's still plenty

of good grub in Hall.

I'm all right.

It's nothing.

Let me ask you something.

How does all this come to you?

I don't know.

Why am I bothering with a Council meeting

when I'm getting the boot?

If you think I'm gonna have

that charlatan for a Fellow,

you're very much mistaken.

Oh, please tell me you didn't propose him.

- He's gonna crack partitions.

- Oh.

He's worthy.

You're the one who told me

to let him run

like a damn horse. Well, I did.

And now I... I need to raise his spirits.

You mean you need

to relieve your own guilt.

Really, for someone so clever,

you can be so terribly dim.

So, in the matter

of Fellowship for Srinivasa Ramanujan,

we call the matter to vote.

I'm sorry to bother you so late.

I felt I should be the one to tell you.

I'm very embarrassed,

for myself and for the College.

But your Fellowship was denied.

Thank you for telling me.

I know you did all you could.

(COUGHING)

(PANTING)

(GASPS)

(PANTING AND GASPING)

(SCREAMS)

(PANTING)

(GASPING)

(COUGHING)

(GASPING)

(PANTING)

(GASPING)

(PATIENT GROANING)

MAN:
Yeah, more dressings!

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

MAN:
Can we have

someone over here, please?

(PATIENT CRYING OUT IN AGONY)

MAN:
Nurse!

MAN:
Nurse!

NURSE:
That's it, just breathe.

Ramanujan?

(GROANS)

Nurse! Nurse!

(FIRE CRACKLING)

Shall I wake him?

No.

He'll come when he's ready.

(BELL TOLLING IN BACKGROUND)

NURSE:
Excuse me, Doctor.

This gentleman's

looking for the Indian student.

Ah, yes.

He came in last night.

Not right in the head.

Terrible fever.

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