| Popularly known as ‘Raosaheb’, Prof. A.R.Rao completed one hundred
years of his active and fruitful life on September 23, 2008. One of the
leading mathematicians of the country, Raosaheb worked as a
Professor of Mathematics, first in Bahauddin College, Junagadh- where
he spent more than a quarter of a century- and then in various other
colleges of Gujarat. After his retirement from active teaching in 1976,
Raosaheb joined the Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre
(VASCSC) at Ahmedabad, as Professor Emeritus, where he continues
to offer his services till today. Considered to be the father of nonformal
mathematics in Gujarat, Raosaheb has established a Mathematics
Laboratory at VASCSC, which is unique of its kind in the whole
country. The laboratory is replete with fascinating mathematical
models, games and puzzles, which not only help the students to
understand mathematics better but which also help kindle interest in
masses in the subject, considered dry and dull otherwise. It is this
innovative concept of Mathematical Laboratory that won Raosaheb a
number of awards for popularizing mathematics from state and
national level organizations. While Geometry is his first love, Raosaheb
is also interested in Number theory and Combinatorics. His book titled ‘Brain Sharpeners’ is a treasure of mathematical puzzles which are
both challenging and captivating. |
