It fills me with deep regret that the best teacher I have ever had is no more there. However, I can say with certainty that he'll continue to live in the hearts and minds of us, his students. He is Immortal.
His trademark arrogance and style are unforgettable.
Maths was elegance personified.
It was art for him. He had the wonderful ability to teach the subject in an altogether different way. Maths was more than just a subject for him, it was a way of thought.
His classes were mixed with humour, historical accounts and fundamental insights.
The passion with which he spoke about Maths was infectious.
The Mathematical rigor that he always maintained and the brilliance that he displayed in solving problems was simply great. On top of all this, he hardly ever had to use a piece of paper for it was all in his head.
The way he used to comment on the locally published books and highlight their faults was cool !!
He wasn't one who would tolerate any leniency in mathematical rigour.
You just can't say if x^2 = 4 then x = 2.
One of the books he liked was Elementary Mathematics by Dorofeev et al., albeit he did find some issues with that book as well.
I still remember the Mathematical Induction class. He showed us how powerful the technique was. "Sometimes proving the base step is a much greater challenge than the induction step". He clearly exemplified this using a carefully chosen problem from some Math olympiad.
Derivatives of inverse trigonometric functions - The way this was done was a treat to see.
The list goes on.
He was a class apart and would always be.
He was a chain smoker as well. This is what finally led to the fatal heart attack on 7 Feb, 08. He had already had a few heart attacks.
May your soul rest in peace sir. I revere you with the highest regard. If I had to pick only one teacher who has made the most difference to my life till date, it would be you sir !
A true teacher is one who not just teaches a subject but sets the student on his own journey of pursuing the subject. Your passion and love for Maths will always be an inspiration for all of us.
