Satyendra Nath Bose: Google pays tribute to Indian physicist and mathematician
Satyendra Nath Bose, an Indian physicist and mathematician, was honoured with a Google doodle on Saturday for his contribution to the Bose-Einstein Condensate. Bose, who was born in 1924, communicated his quantum formulations to Albert Einstein, who recognised it as an important breakthrough in quantum mechanics.
Satyendra Nath Bose’s rise to prominence began in academia. Bose began studying for a Bachelor of Science degree at Calcutta’s Presidency College at the age of 15 and later received a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics at the University of Calcutta. He confirmed his prestigious standing in academia by graduating first in his class in both degrees. His father, an accountant, had always written an arithmetic problem for him to complete before leaving for work, which dampened Bose’s enthusiasm for mathematics.
By 1917, Bose was offering physics lectures. While teaching postgraduate students Planck’s radiation formula, Bose began questioning particle counting and experimenting with his own hypotheses. He published his findings in a study titled Planck’s Law and the Hypothesis of Light Quanta, which he forwarded to The Philosophical Magazine, a prestigious research publication. He decided to mail his manuscript to Albert Einstein after his study was denied.
The significance of the discovery was recognised by Einstein, who quickly applied Bose’s formula to a wide spectrum of phenomena. Bose’s theoretical work went on to become one of the most important discoveries in quantum theory. The Indian government recognised Bose’s enormous contribution to physics by bestowing upon him the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s highest civilian honour. He was also named a National Professor, India’s highest academic honour.
Bose went on to become the president of a number of scientific organisations, including the Indian Physical Society, the National Institute of Science, the Indian Science Congress, and the Indian Statistical Institute. Satyendra Nath Bose was also a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research advisor and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
