TFF - SLOAN SPONSORS READING OF FILM ABOUT MATHEMATICIAN RAMANUJAN

Lead actor Amir Arison -- will play Ramanujan

The Sloan Foundation, which has a large, ongoing project to encourage plays and films dealing with scientists and scientific issues, is sponsoring (together with the Tribeca Film Institute, at the Tribeca Film Festival -- TFF) a reading on Sunday of a screenplay in development (A First Class Man by David Freeman), about the Indian mathematician, Ramanujan (Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan).

Ramanujan was famous for producing amazingly startling mathematical results, without providing standard mathematical proofs.

The play deals with philosophical issues related to the nature of mathematics, and human issues highlighted by the strong relationship between Ramanujan and the traditional mathematician, Hardy, at Cambridge (two people whose personalities were possibly even more different than their mathematical philosophies).

Author David Freeman

The screenplay, originally a staged play, has had a long development process, and is being championed, among others, by its lead actor, Amir Arison.

Olivia D'Abo is also participating in the reading, which will be followed by a panel discussion that includes the author and mathematicians Krishnaswami Alladi and George Andrews (number theorists who have worked on problems inspired by Ramanujan) and will be moderated by NPR’s Ira Flatow. The event will be held on Sunday April 29th at 2:00pm at the Soho Playhouse,15 Vandam Street. Contact TFF for tickets.