The Man Who Knew Infinity Index

is the definitive biography of the self-taught Indian mathematical prodigy , written by Robert Kanigel . Published in 1991, the book explores Ramanujan's humble beginnings in South India, his miraculous mathematical insights, and his intense collaboration with British mathematician G.H. Hardy at the University of Cambridge. Key Terms and Index of Concepts

Robert Kanigel’s 1991 biography The Man Who Knew Infinity remains the definitive account of the life of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. While scholars have extensively analyzed its narrative content, the book’s index—a crucial paratextual element—has received no critical attention. This paper argues that the index functions not merely as a retrieval tool but as a secondary narrative, revealing thematic emphases, cultural biases, and the construction of mathematical genius. Through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of index entries, we show how Kanigel’s index prioritizes Ramanujan’s personal relationships over his mathematical formulas, subtly shaping the reader’s perception of genius as socially embedded. The paper also provides a reconstructed thematic index of Ramanujan’s mathematical contributions as a corrective. the man who knew infinity index

Notably, Indian mathematicians contemporary with Ramanujan (e.g., S. Chandrasekhar, though slightly later) appear less frequently than English socialites who merely hosted dinners. This suggests that the index—and by extension the biography—frames Ramanujan’s genius through Western validation. is the definitive biography of the self-taught Indian