Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri

Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri (Bengali: ; 14 September 1923 18 June 2005) was a leading Indian physicist, renowned for his research in general
relativity and cosmology. His most signicant contribution is the eponymous Raychaudhuris equation, which
demonstrates that singularities arise inevitably in general
relativity and is a key ingredient in the proofs of the
PenroseHawking singularity theorems.

dan, Raychaudhuri was suciently emboldened to submit a doctoral dissertation, and received his degree in
1959.
In 1961, Raychaudhuri joined the faculty of his alma
mater, Presidency College in Calcutta.

Ironically, his work was not widely recognized in India until the nineteen seventies, when he became a well
known scientic hero. Shortly before his death, a docuRaychaudhuri was also revered as a teacher during his mentary lm on his career was completed.
tenure at Presidency College, Kolkata. Many of his students have gone on to become established scientists.

3 Notes
1

Early years and education

[1] http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050627/asp/knowhow/
story_4907454.asp

Raychaudhuri was born to Surabala and Sureshchandra

Raychaudhuri on September 14, 1923 in Barisal of undivided Bengal in British India, which is now a part of
Bangladesh. His father taught mathematics at a school in
Kolkata. His fathers cousin, Professor Hemchandra Raychaudhuri was a renowned historian and the Carmichael
Professor of History at the University of Calcutta.

4 References
Dadhich, Naresh (2005), Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri (19232005)", Current Science 89: 569570
Narlikar, J. V. (January 2006), Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri, Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the
Indian National Science Academy: 169

Raychaudhuri received his early schooling at Tirthapati

Institution in Kolkata and went on to complete matriculation from Hindu School. He demonstrated an aptitude for mathematics at an early age. He graduated from
Presidency College in 1942 and completed his M.Sc. at
Calcutta University in 1944.

Sen, Parongama (April 2008), The Legacy of Amal

Kumar Raychaudhuri, Biographical Memoirs of
Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy:
309309
Interview with Professor Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri (2003), Part 1 & Part 2

Career

After earning his masters degree, Raychaudhuri spent

four years doing experimental work.
During this time, working in complete isolation, he taught
himself dierential geometry and the theory of general
relativity.
In 1952 he took a research job with the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), but to his frustration was required to work on the properties of metals
rather than general relativity, which was not yet considered to be truly part of the mainstream of physics. Despite these adverse pressures, he was able to derive and
publish the equation which is now named for him a few
years later.
Some years later, having learned that his 1955 paper was
highly regarded by notable physicists, such as Pascual Jor1

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