Renowned Mathematician CR Rao Passes Away, Leaving Behind an Enduring Legacy
Prominent mathematician and statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, popularly known as CR Rao, has sadly passed away at the age of 102. His demise occurred on Wednesday in the United States, where he had been residing. Dr. CR Rao was not only a recipient of the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award but also a distinguished scholar who significantly contributed to the fields of mathematics and statistics.
Hailing from Ballari, a region that belonged to the former Madras Presidency and is now situated in Karnataka, Rao completed his Master’s degree in Mathematics before joining the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta. His academic journey led him to achieve remarkable feats, including winning the International Prize in Statistics in 2023, which is regarded as equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the field.
Upon hearing the news of Rao’s passing, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed their heartfelt condolences. Chief Minister Reddy lauded CR Rao’s exceptional contributions to the world of mathematics and statistics, highlighting his noteworthy research on the Cramer-Rao bound and the Rao-Blackwell theorem.
Governor Soundararajan also acknowledged Rao’s extraordinary accomplishments, referring to his work as monumental and emphasizing its profound impact not only on statistics but also on various other disciplines. She acknowledged Rao’s role as an inspiration for aspiring scientists across generations and mourned the loss of one of India’s great scientific minds.
Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao’s legacy will undoubtedly endure through his groundbreaking contributions to statistics and mathematics, forever influencing these fields and captivating the imaginations of researchers and scholars globally. As the world bids farewell to this exceptional mathematician, his invaluable work will continue to shape statistical analysis and advance scientific knowledge in many spheres.
In honor of his exceptional life and accomplishments, friends, colleagues, and admirers gather to remember and celebrate the remarkable journey of CR Rao, an individual whose brilliance and passion for academics left an indelible mark on the world. Even as we mourn his loss, we take solace in the enduring legacy he leaves behind, ensuring that CR Rao’s contributions to the realm of mathematics and statistics will forever be remembered.
