Satyendra Nath Bose’s journey to fame started in academics. Each day, his father who was an accountant would write an arithmetic problem for him to solve before leaving for work, feuling Bose’s interest in mathematics. At age 15, Bose began pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at Calcutta’s Presidency College and earned a Master’s in Applied Mathematics at the University of Calcutta soon after. Graduating top of his class for both degrees, he solidified his esteemed position in academia.
By the end of 1917, Bose began giving lectures on physics. While teaching postgraduate students Planck’s radiation formula, he questioned the way particles were counted and began experimenting with his own theories. He documented his findings in a report called Planck’s Law and the Hypothesis of Light Quanta, and sent it to a prominent science journal called The Philosophical Magazine. To his surprise, his research was rejected. At that moment, he made the bold decision to mail his paper to Albert Einstein.
Einstein indeed recognized the significance of the discovery — and soon applied Bose’s formula to a wide range of phenomena. Bose’s theoretical paper became one of the most important findings in quantum theory. The Indian government recognized Bose’s tremendous contribution to physics by awarding him one of the highest civilian award in the country, the Padma Vibhushan. He was also appointed as National Professor, the highest honor in India for scholars.
As a a true polymath, Bose went on to serve as president of many scientific institutions including the Indian Physical Society, National Institute of Science, Indian Science Congress and the Indian Statistical Institute. He was also an adviser to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and later became a Fellow of the Royal Society. In honor of Bose’s legacy, any particle that conforms with his statistics today is known as a boson. Many scientific breakthroughs have come from his work including the discovery of the particle accelerator and the God particle.
