And not just that, but he had more education than the poorest Indians, and probably more than the second poorest. And got his hands on a math textbook, which was probably pretty low probability.
My bet is that there aren't a lot of geniuses doing stoop labor, especially in traditional peasant situations, but there are some who would have been geniuses if they'd had enough food when young and some education.
And not just that, but he had more education than the poorest Indians, and probably more than the second poorest.
Even the poorest Indians (or Chinese, for that matter) will sacrifice to put their children through school. Ramanujan's initial education does not seem to have been too extraordinary, before his gifts became manifest (he scored first in exams, and that was how he was able to go to a well-regarded high school; pg25).
And got his hands on a math textbook, which was probably pretty low probability.
Actually, we know how he got his initial text...
Another month has passed and here is a new rationality quotes thread. The usual rules are: