P. C. Vaidya, a Gandhian Mathematician

ARTICLE P.C. VAIDYA, A GANDHIAN MATHEMATICIAN-PHYSICIST AND PROPONENT OF ‘VAIDYA METRIC’: NEARLY IN OBLIVION MANAS CHAKRABARTY* The year 2018 marked the birth centenary of the Gandhian mathematician-cum-physicist, P.C. Vaidya who was an inspiring teacher, a dedicated populariser of mathematics and the proponent of Vaidya metric, a rare dynamic solution to the space time geometry around radiating stir. Sadly, however, this world famous expert in relativity and cosmology could not become a household name in India and has nearly gone into oblivion. There was hardly any celebration of his birth centenary across India. The life and work of this modest scientist have been presented briefly in this article. ast year (2018) was the birth centenary of Prahalad Indeed, only a few write-ups were published and even Chunnilal Vaidya (PCV), a renowned Gujarati lesser number of seminars and symposia on the life and Lmathematician and physicist, a freedom fighter, an work of this bright Indian scientist took place last year. inspiring Gandhian teacher and a globally recognised expert Regrettably, he was not covered even in a recent article, on Einstein’s theory of relativity1,2. But despite his immense written by the present author, on the momentous incidences contribution in the field of theory of relativity, especially that rendered the year 1918 a truly remarkable year in the what is known as the ‘Vaidya metric’, PCV could not history of mankind4. The present write-up on the life and become a household name like C.V. Raman, S.N. Bose, work of PCV is an attempt to fill in this lacuna. Meghnad Saha, Homi Bhava, P.C. Mahalanobis, S. Chandrasekhar and the like, and he has almost gone into Early Life and Education oblivion. In an article entitled, ‘Centenary: P.C. Vaidya, a PCV was born on May 23, 1918 in Shahpur village Gandhian Physicist Who Laboured in India’s Shadows’ by in Junagadh District, Gujarat. In 1931, when he was in the A. Ramnath and published in the WIRE on May 27, 2018, 9th standard, his father passed away. After completing his the author candidly confessed that he, although a school education first in Alfred High School, Bhavnagar professional historian of science, had never heard of Vaidya (until 1933) and then in Mumbai, he graduated from the until recently when a colleague mentioned about PCV Ismail Yusuf College, Andheri with distinction in science during the course of a public lecture on the life and work with physics and mathematics as major. Right from his of Stephen Hawking3. This statement, however shocking, school days, PCV displayed a special aptitude for bears ample testimony to the unfortunate evaluation of PCV mathematics. He, therefore, studied applied mathematics not only by the public at large but also by the scientific at the Institute of Science (formerly known as the Royal community in India. Institute of Science) and obtained his M.Sc. degree from the Bombay University where he was a topper. * Former Senior Professor of Chemistry and Emeritus Scientist (CSIR) in the Department of Chemistry, Bose Institute, Kolkata Post-M.Sc. Teaching Career 700009, West Bengal. Residence: 60/13B, Gouribari Lane, P.O. Shyambazar, Kolkata In 1940, he started his career as a Lecturer in 700004. Dharmendra Singhji College, Rajkot where he used to teach E-mail: [email protected] arithmetic and trigonometry to undergraduate students. He 254 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, JULY-AUGUST, 2019 (Source: Wiki Commons) P.C. Vaidya (23.05.1918-08.04.2010) (Source: a Documentary) was a staunch believer in Gandhian philosophy of Ahimsa, for a berth in his research group. Narlikar immediately simplicity and honesty. He took part in freedom movement, agreed, and PCV, along with his wife and six month-old but in a different way. He resigned from the lectureship in daughter Kumud, went to Banaras on the 27th June, 1942. 1941 and founded a voluntary organisation, Ahimsak But he could carry out research work at BHU for only ten Vyayam Sangh (AVS), an institute of physical education months because he did not get any scholarship and his for training youths for non-violent struggle. He was the scanty savings were almost spent by then. PCV returned Principal of AVS. In 1942, when the Quit India Movement to Gujarat with his family in the April of 1943. But even was being planned, Mahatma Gandhi wanted AVS to play this short period of research under the guidance of Narlikar a part in the planned movement. But Baba Prithvi Singh shaped PCV into a prolific researcher and imbibed in him Azad, the Director of the Sangh and a one-time the idea of developing a spacetime geometry of the revolutionary, did not want to oppose the British simply gravitational field around a radiating star. Justifiably, PCV because he was indeed a communist and the British were considered his research tenure with V.V. Narlikar as ‘Kashi allied with the Soviets. This ideological conflict led to the Yatra’3 and paid homage to his Teacher-mathematician in closure of the AVS sometime in 1942. an obituary5. Entry into Research After leaving BHU, PCV taught in a number of science institutions in Surat, Rajkot and Bombay. He then This was the turning point in the life of PCV. Since spent one year (1947-’48) as a Research Associate at the the AVS was shut down, PCV had no job and his savings newly founded Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, were almost exhausted, he became somewhat aimless. Bombay where he got acquainted with Homi Bhabha. He Earlier in 1937 when PCV was an undergraduate student got his Ph.D. degree from the Bombay University in 1948. of mathematics, he attended a course of lectures on general Notably, PCV was the first holder of the Ph.D. degree in relativity at Bombay University by Professor V.V. Narlikar, mathematics in Gujarat. But long before his doctoral award, a well known physicist of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), PCV became famous for his contribution, widely known Varanasi and the father of famous Jayant V. Narlikar. These as ‘Vaidya metric’ or ‘Vaidya solution’ (vide infra). lectures had two profound influences on the course of the life of PCV. Firstly, he shifted from pure mathematics to Vaidya Metric: Major Contribution of PCV applied mathematics after the first semester in the PCV’s major interest was in the gravitational field of postgraduate course. Secondly, these lectures made PCV radiating stars. According to the general theory of relativity, aware, for the first time, of the fact that the gravitational a gravitating object can be measured by the spacetime field of a radiating star had yet to be described in terms of geometry around it. When PCV started his research work, general relativity. Inspired by these lectures, PCV became the spacetime geometry around a spherical star (with its interested to pursue research in the general field of relativity surrounding assumed to be empty) had already been worked in the school of V.V. Narlikar at BHU. out (vide the well known ‘Schwarzschild Solution’)6. But In 1939, PCV got married to Vidya Devi. In 1942, this geometry around a radiating star, like typical stars, when the AVS was wound up, PCV requested V.V. Narlikar was not known. A quarter of a century later when PCV VOL. 85, NOS. 7–8 255 was in his early twenties, he found a solution – a metric - Sen at the University of Calcutta. The next generation of to this problem. His remarkable paper entitled ‘The influential scientists in this domain are PCV and A.K. External Field of a Radiating Star in General Relativity’ Raychaudhuri of Presidency College, Calcutta. The on this solution, called the ‘Vaidya metric’ was published contribution of PCV, mainly Vaidya metric, belongs to the in Current Science in 19437. Vaidya metric slowly acquired domain of the study of gravitational effects around local a berth in the upcoming field of relativistic astrophysics. objects while the famous ‘Raychaudhuri equation’14,15 by In his public lecture titled ‘Vaidya Metric and 100 Years late Professor A.K. Raychudhuri belongs to the domain of of Black Hole Solution’ held at Gujarat University on the investigation of the global structure of spacetime – the September 9, 2017, Dr. Karan Jani, a gravitational wave two domains of general relativity. The contributions of these astrophysicist and a LIGO scientist and one of the Forbes two stalwarts in their respective fields have been amply list of ‘30 Influential Scientists Under 30’ remarked that covered in a notable book entitled ‘A Random Walk in the recent applications of Vadya metric, a very rare exact Relativity and Cosmology: Essays in Honour of P.C. Vaidya dynamic solution in relativity, include probing dark energy8. and A.K. Raychaudhuri’, edited by N. Dadhich, J. Krishna A video, created by Google, deals with the work of PCV Rao, J.V. Narlikar and C.V. Vishveshwara Rao who are in the field of general theory of relativity9. experts in the field of general relativity16. A review on this A documentary on the life and work of PCV and a book highlighted the importance of this book and considers 10 recent news article in South Asia Daily have described it to be “both useful and stimulating to any interested how the idea of Vaidya metric came into being. The story reader17.” goes as follows. One day in 1942, PCV was loitering in the balcony waiting for a Hindi newspaper Aaj when the Teaching and Science Popularisation idea behind Vaidya metric flashed in his mind. He thought that, since fluids move with velocities less than that of light, After getting his Ph.D.

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