Indian researcher Kakde has cracked a mathematical formula linked to the legendary Srinivasa Ramanujan that had puzzled scholars for nearly 300 years, in a breakthrough being celebrated by the mathematics community.

The formula relates to deep questions in number theory, the branch of mathematics that studies the properties of numbers. Ramanujan, who died in 1920 at just 32, left behind notebooks full of results stated without proof, and mathematicians have spent a century verifying them.

Kakde’s work reportedly resolves one of the long-standing conjectures in that tradition, using modern techniques that were unavailable in Ramanujan’s time. The result has been shared with peers for verification, the standard process before formal publication.

Number theory may sound abstract, but it underpins modern cryptography, the codes that protect everything from bank transactions to messaging apps. Breakthroughs in the field can eventually find practical uses.

The achievement adds to India’s rich mathematical heritage, from Aryabhata to Ramanujan himself. For young researchers, Kakde’s success is a reminder that some of the deepest problems in science are still waiting for the right mind.