Once Ramanujan was asked about true friendship and he answered, “I do wish to have someone with whom I can share a close friendship. But the problem is I am yet to find a person who possesses the qualities I expect from a close friend”. The friend was eager to know what were the special qualities expected by Ramanujan. Ramanujan replied “The numbers 220 and 284 are symbolic of an exemplary friendship and my wish is to have that kind of friendship with someone”. The friend asked,“What is the connection between my question and these two numbers?” Ramanujam asked him to first find the Divisors of the two numbers. 220 – 1,2,4,5,10,11,20,22,44,55,110,220 284 - 1,2,4,71,142,284 Ramanujan asked him to remove the integers, 220 and 284 from both the lists and calculate the total of the remaining divisors for each number. 220: 1+2+4+5+10+11+20+22+44+55+110 = 284 284: 1+2+4+71+142 = 220 Both the numbers contained within themselves the other one. Ramanujan explained in his own inimitable style how just as these two numbers represented a mutual connection at a deeper level, he too expected to have such a connection and rapport with someone whom he could call a close friend. If two people can have ingrained in them the same set of qualities and if one can mirror the qualities of the other even in the other’s absence, then such two people can symbolize and represent a true friendship. #true #friendship #math #longpost https://www.instagram.com/p/B_G19CBgUhDNi9yMlO0r_4PONJVWgu-iBmT4bY0/?igshid=sxirlk3dskqp