Speaking the Language of Mathematics - In conversation - Volume 7 - Issue 2

Oct 5, 2026

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Interview with Don Bernard Zagier conducted in an “in conversation” format for Bhāvanā, covering his early life, mathematical formation, and the adventurous influence of his parents’ travels. The discussion recounts Zagier’s first visits to India around the Ramanujan birth centenary conferences at TIFR, interactions with prominent mathematicians, and personal reflections on research and learning languages. It also highlights his major contributions to modular forms and links to the Birch–Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture and theoretical physics, framed by his 65th birthday.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Speaking the language of mathematics

Don Zagier in conversation

First recollections and visit to India

Ramanujan centenary conferences at TIFR

Modular forms and research reflections

volume 7 ([https://bhavana.org. in/category/volume-7/](https://bhavana.org. in/category/volume-7/)) issue 2 ([https://bhavana.org. in/category/issue-2/](https://bhavana.org. in/category/issue-2/)) April 2023 in conversation ([https://bhavana.org. in/category/in-conversation/](https://bhavana.org. in/category/in-conversation/)) ([https://bhavana.org. in/category/april-2023/](https://bhavana.org. in/category/april-2023/)) Speaking the language of mathematics Don Zagier in conversation with C. S. Aravinda and Sudhi r Rao ([https://bhavana.org.in/speaking-the-language-of-mathematics/](https://bhavana.org.in/speaking-the-language-of-mathematics/)) courtesy: IYBSSD 1 F rom being “the giant in his family” by his own account, to being “a giant in mathematics” as Ken Ono described him on the occasion of his 65th birthday, Don Bernard Zagier has carved a unique identity for himself in the mathematical hall of fame, with a gallery of work that probably mirrors his own eଂfervescent and charming persona. A prodigious student deemed too young at 14 to join Oxford, that led him to join MIT and being a Putnam fellow at 16, to eventually graduating from Oxford with a PhD at age 20, Zagier’s career trajectory has been decidedly extraordinary. His pioneering work in the theory of modular forms with its connections to the celebrated Birch–Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture and also its surprising applications in theoretical physics has fetched him many honours and awards. In this refreshingly candid interview, Zagier, the ଃଅrst holder of ICTP’s Ramanujan International Chair, talks about the early years of his globe-trotting and adventurous life resulting from his parents’ many travels, his fascination with learning diଂferent languages, his mathematical work, all peppered with honest insights into the nature of mathematics research. It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this “in conversation” session with Bhāvanā. I thought we could start with my recollection of the ଃଅrst time I saw you. You visited India in 1988 for the Ramanujan birth centenary conference at the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai. The birth centenary year of course was 1987, but since Ramanujan was born on December 22nd, the conference took place in January 1988. It was a big conference and I was still a student then, and it was very inspiring for me to see in person the galaxy of mathematicians who had come: Jean-Pierre Serre, Atle Selberg, Robert Rankin, Wolfgang Schmidt, you, and many others. I still have vivid recollections of the event. One of the images I have is that you were accompanied by your parents. The image of Einstein ଁଋashed before me after seeing your father, though I haven’t met or seen Albert Einstein in person. So, let me begin by asking: Has anyone else said or mentioned resemblance between Einstein and your father? DZ: I’m not quite sure. Certainly my father was short and Jewish, and had rather wild hair, and was very intelligent. I don’t know if he looked like Einstein. I don’t know how tall Einstein was. I’m ଃଅve foot four, and my father was four inches shorter, with my mother and sister in between, so I was the giant in our family. My father, however, was much stronger. Was that the ଃଅrst time you visited India along with your parents? DZ: It was my ଃଅrst visit with them, and also their ଃଅrst visit. They had always planned to visit India, but somehow it had not happened. So they took advantage of the fact that I was going to India. I think I came twice more to India, and they came several times later and ended up visiting every part of the country, but if I remember correctly, that was my only visit with them. With Ichirō Satake and Mrs. Satake at the Ramanujan birth centenary conference at TIFR. courtesy: C. S. Aravinda With Jean-Pierre Serre at the Ramanujan birth centenary conference at TIFR. courtesy: C. S. Aravinda On this occasion I stayed several weeks, attending two other Ramanujan centennial c

FAQs

What is the focus of the interview with Don Zagier?

The interview centers on Zagier’s early years, his experiences around major Ramanujan centenary events in India, and reflections on mathematical research and learning languages.

Why was Zagier’s visit to India around the Ramanujan birth centenary conference in 1988?

The Ramanujan birth centenary year was 1987, but the conference was held in January 1988 because Ramanujan was born on December 22.

Which mathematical themes does the interview connect to Zagier’s career?

It highlights his pioneering work on the theory of modular forms, including connections to the Birch–Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture and applications to theoretical physics.

Oct 5, 2026

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