KANNUR: The year 2011 is going to be yet another year of ‘Magic of Mathematics’ for Palliyara Sreedharan, a noted author of books on mathematics for school children in the state.
With the completion of Century, his 100th book on mathematics, on Friday evening, Palliyara Sreedharan is all set to welcome the New Year with his interesting calculations, interpretations and assumptions on the phenomenon of mathematics, which he believes is all-pervading.
The first chapter of the book that made him hit the century is devoted to the first digit,’1’, namely ‘Onnukalude Vishesham’. He points out that the digit ‘1’ would make an unprecedented domination in matters and events likely to happen in 2011. The first day, 1-1-11 itself is significant, he says, adding that January 11,11-1-11, November 1, 1-11-11 and November 11, 11-11-11 are all enough to take the fancy of math-loving people everywhere. He also narrates the significant features of the digit ‘1’ especially in the context of the year 2011.
‘Maths for Intelligence and Power’, ‘Travelling Problem of a Salesman’ and ‘Sexy Cousin Pairs’ are some of the interesting titles Palliyara has given to some of the mathematical issues about which he has written in the book. For instance, in ‘David Hilbert’, he uses the Hilbert’s hotel to narrate the idea of infinity to learners of maths. In ‘Sexy Cousin Pairs’, he deals with pairs of numbers coming in succession.
Born on January 17, 1950, at Varam in Kannur district, Palliyara began his life as a man of numbers, joining the Koodali High School as a student.
He worked as a teacher for more than 27 years before he left the job to pursue his passion to write books on mathematics. The credit for having written the maximum number of books on mathematics published in Malayalam goes to Palliyara. His writing career as an author of books on mathematics began with the publication of Prakrithiyude Ganitham (Mathematics of nature). It marked the beginning of a long journey of “literature of maths”.
Having hit the century as an author of books on mathematics with the birth of 2011, Palliyara said he was in no mood to take rest.
