A tribute to my teacher/grand teacher

From an amateur to a professional:

(This is a tribute to my teacher/grand teacher, who turned 80, last July. )

Professor Sridharan played a very significant role in my journey from being an amateur to a  professional. 

I met Professor Sridharan for the first time, when he was on the interview committee for Junior Research Fellowship of the UGC, in Bombay (now Mumbai), in 1971, as a candidate. I was quite impressed with his approach and the way he interviewed and I developed great regard for him. Later, when I took up the fellowship, I attended his lectures on Algebra in TIFR and my regard for him grew even more. But soon, I discontinued my studies due to practical difficulties. Nevertheless, my inner desire to do research remained unfulfilled and definitely I was interested in Algebra, although I had some inclination to Number theory as well. I made some stray, unsuccessful attempts to study independently but with little success. 

Later, after a long gap of some 12-13 years, some time in 1985 or so, I had the opportunity to live in TIFR campus in Bombay. So I decided to resume research in Mathematics. But I was neither a fresher nor did I have enough background to pursue research on my own. I had only some vague ideas from my past experience, most of it forgotten. It was then that I approached Professor Sridharan and expressed my desire to do my Ph. D. , under his guidance. The first thing Sridharan asked me was, “Do you want to write some thesis and get a degree or do you want to do mathematics seriously and write a good thesis”. I said, “I want to do mathematics and at least I would like to give a fair trial”. That was it. Immediately he said, “In that case, you should come here (to the Tata Institute) every day for two-three hours, regularly and study”. That ‘regularly’, every day was very important, because, I was any way going to the School of Maths, Tata Institute,  on and off (irregularly) and either sat in the library or spent some time in my husband’s office, trying to study something aimlessly, without any streamline.  Also, Professor Sridharan told me that he had stopped taking students but  Parimala would be my guide officially, and we will all be working together. Then, both of them told me,  “You can come here any time, ask any question and discuss anything that you do not understand” ! That was great, unheard of, contrary to the experience I had with Professors in TIFR in general! Gosh, he could have thrown a few questions that I could not answer and shoo me away, saying I am unfit for research, if he desired! Instead, I was allowed to ask any question! That already filled me with courage to go ahead, which I very much lacked at that time. After that, I did 
go every day for two-three hours, asked questions, some times stupid and sometimes clever and I started enjoying ‘doing Mathematics’  in their company. I could also witness, how they study  new things, how they think from scratch and how they apply their knowledge and skill, to prove a new result. In short, these were practical lessons, how one does research. 

From two-three hours a day,  soon it increased to four, five, six and so on and within a few months, I started working for ten to twelve hours or even more, every day, regularly. Sridharan used to meet students (not just  his or Parimala’s), between 9 -10 pm in his office every day. I started going to him at that time and lecturing to him on what I was reading. I was vague and unable to give proofs of what I was stating. But he always listened to me carefully and patiently and corrected my mistakes. Never did he criticise me or humiliate me, for my ignorance or mistakes. I would say hesitatingly to him: ” All these results may be known, no?”.  And he would say, “nothing is known I say; you should keep thinking about it and prove it”. 

Every time I talked to him, my understanding improved and I got more involved in study. One day I gave a nice argument to give an affirmative answer to a question, (which I myself had asked him earlier and as usual he told me I should try to prove), he was quite happy with my argument. He remarked, “This shows, you can think”!  As far as I was concerned, it boosted my morale and elevated my self esteem. Initially, I was very timid, hesitant and shaky. But now, I was more confident and rigorous. 

After a year or so, I wrote my first paper and it soon got accepted for publication in the Journal of Number Theory. Professor Sridharan came and told me: “Now you can write your thesis; the work is good”! Soon, I also got an official position as a Visiting Member in School of Maths, TIFR, wrote my thesis and continued to work. I was very happy and shared my feelings with one of my friends. I still remember, she  remarked: “ Yes, no one who goes to Sridharan, returns empty handed” ! So true, I perfectly agree with this comment. 

I had crossed thirty six and was a full pledged (the standard term is fledged, but I do mean 'pledged') house wife with two children to take care of, when I approached him for guiding me for Ph. D. and I started  working without any official position. But Sridharan never made me feel, I was old or unfit for research. On the contrary, he always helped me in many practical ways, so that I could save time for my study. For instance, he would suggest references so freely and instead of my going to the library and searching for it, he would just pick it up for me from the library and show me the article. He would know exactly where, which journal, published in which year or in which book, the article appeared. He knew the TIFR  library  so well, exactly which corner of which shelf, the book or  journal belonged to. I am sure, many other students also had similar experience with him.  

Although I was given special respect for my age, as far as the quality of the work was concerned, there was no compromise and I was treated like any other student in TIFR. Sridharan is a perfectionist and a task master. But he has a very pleasant way of inducing people to work. For instance, when I could not come come up with any solution to a problem that I was trying to solve,  for a few days, he would say,  ”You have slept over it for long time, I say; you should finish it now”! Well, this sort of compulsions really helped me a lot. While writing my thesis, (those days we were writing by hand and giving it to the typist for typing), I would take every day, whatever I wrote and show it to him. He would read it so fast and in no time, he  would point out so many mistakes, typos and I had to go back and do it all over again, spending several hours! Sridharan had tremendous memory, intelligence and scholarship. He is a great supporter of women. He understood the difficulties women like me face, in maintaining an equilibrium between home and career. He was (and still he is) very compassionate and always helped to overcome our difficulties.  He is a great teacher in the true sense of the term. 

Three years of my association with Sridharan during my Ph. D. days, to begin with unofficially and then officially, put me in motion, on sound track. The work culture and the perfectionist’s attitude that I developed under his supervision, during those years, came along with me, for the next twenty years in my career, till I retired from the University of Mumbai, as Professor.

I thank Professor Sridharan, for taking a woman in her late thirties, a full pledged house wife with two children, seriously, and transforming an amateur into a professional. Under his supervision, I got the right environment and encouragement, I needed at that juncture.

Parvati Shastri.