Talk by Prof. M. Ram Murty Queen’s Research Chair Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy Queen’s University, Canada

Abstract: In the 18th century, Euler proved that the Riemann zeta function evaluated at even arguments is always a rational multiple of a power of $\pi$. Hence, these values are all transcendental. The values of the zeta function at odd arguments still remain a mystery. However, in his celebrated notebooks, Ramanujan discovered a marvelous formula for these values that links them to the theory of modular forms. We will give an overview of the contributions of Euler and Ramanujan and report on some recent advances in the theory. The talk will be accessible to a general audience.

About the Speaker: Specialising in number theory, Prof. Ram Murty is a researcher in the areas of modular forms, elliptic curves, and sieve theory. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1990,was elected to the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) in 2008, and has won numerous prestigious awards in mathematics, including the Coxeter– James Prize. A highly-learned Hindu scholar, Prof. Murty is also cross-appointed as a professor of philosophy at Queen's, specialising in Indian philosophy. Prof. Murty graduated with a B.Sc. from Carleton University in 1976. He received his Ph.D. in 1980 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, supervised by Harold Stark. He was on the faculty of McGill University from 1982 until 1996, when he joined Queen's. Prof. Murty graduated with a B.Sc. from Carleton University in 1976. He received his Ph.D. in 1980 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, supervised by Harold Stark. He was on the faculty of McGill University from 1982 until 1996, when he joined Queen's. the American Mathematical Society.