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Can you solve it? The London cab that rode into history

The Guardian•Monday, October 13, 2025 at 6:10:13 AM
PositiveWorld Affairs
Can you solve it? The London cab that rode into history
A fascinating story from 1919 highlights a moment in mathematical history when British mathematician G. H. Hardy took a London cab to visit his colleague Srinivasa Ramanujan. The cab's license number, 1729, initially seemed unremarkable to Hardy, but Ramanujan pointed out its unique property as the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways. This anecdote not only showcases the brilliance of Ramanujan but also emphasizes the beauty and intrigue of mathematics, reminding us that even seemingly mundane things can hold extraordinary significance.
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