M S Narasimhan and C S Seshadri on their interactions

The following is taken from R Malhotra, Mathematicians speak, Current Science 88 (3) 2010), 38-46.

1. M S Narasimhan on their interactions.

I and Seshadri were both students for five years in Loyola College. In those days there used to be a two-year Intermediate course and a three-year Honours which doesn't exist now. We were students of the same batch. We knew each other, but not that well. I did know that he meant to take to research in mathematics. We joined TIFR on the same day and got to know each other well. We studied together and before we started doing research, we used to work closely, learn and read together. In fact when Seshadri wrote his first paper, he gave me a copy with an inscription saying, 'To MSN: For many things learnt in his company'.

It helped very much to study together and have someone to bounce your ideas back. Then we went to Paris together. We were there for three years, but at that time our subjects were slightly different, Seshadri was doing algebraic geometry and I was doing analysis, which are quite different. We used to talk everyday and later we came back to India. Without knowing it we were preparing ourselves for our later joint work by reading different things in Paris and before that too. On our return to India we discussed a problem which resulted in the Narasimhan-Seshadri theorem. This was two years after our return and it was quite a breakthrough. We were colleagues for many years though we never collaborated afterwards formally. We continued to discuss and I learnt many things from him. Then he went to Chennai and we keep our friendship.

2. C S Seshadri on their interactions.

My friendship with Narasimhan is now more than 60 years old. We joined the Intermediate in Loyola College in 1948 and were together in the Mathematics Honours course during 1950-1953. We joined TIFR in 1953 and were together in Paris during 1957-1960. We used to discuss a lot of mathematics. Our fields of specialisation were initially different, but converged after we collaborated in a work which has attracted a lot of attention and led to the establishment of TIFR as a centre for the field of 'moduli of vector bundles'. I do still consult him on important matters.

Last Updated July 2026