Friends, miracles do happen, my passing out at various stages and becoming a scientist are two examples. Frankly speaking, I was only emotional about becoming one. I had hardly done experiments and I don’t remember to have fixed even an electric fuse anytime anywhere. I have been only bookish.
After Training School (TS), I could see a tough time ahead when my boss who was a visionary in physics group exhorted “I will not allow you to sit in a corner and fill sheets after sheets. You would rather be an Accelerator Physicist (AP).” He added “We know what good you are.” I thought that the big man could have seen some spark in me! I surrendered and shelved my plan of becoming a Mathematical Physicist (MP).
I was sent to Calcutta to meet a hardworking and experienced AP who was working in a project and heading it. When I found certain things being done empirically I happened to replace the most crucial one by a beautiful formula. We came back to Bombay, we published it in the Intl. Conf. of Japan in 1986. Because of this very formula there was a lot of progress. But I was most afraid that I might have oversimplified physics and whether it would really work eventually! I desperately wanted a small prototype magnet to be made to test my formula but it was denied at various stages in various ways. I spent some four years in that project to realize that we were actually playing Science-Science like children play “Doctor-Doctor” or ”Teacher-Teacher”.
I left the project and after six months or so it also got scrapped. I started working in M. Phy. independently. Next, a Theoretical Physicist (TP) invited me to work with him. After a year or so I realized again that it was only I who knew what good I was. You may think that you are pear, others find you to be an apple but you may actually be a mango, or the reverse.
I again became independent and tried to publish alone, my first paper appeared in 1991 [Phys. Lett. A 151, 1(1991)]. I have been indigenous, if went abroad it was only to deliver invited talks during 2004-2006 and in 2008. In 2007, I submitted my published papers to Mumbai University to obtain the degree of doctor of science (D. Sc.), which was awarded to me in 2009.
In the year 2009, I also had the pride of taking team-India to the 50th Int. Math. Olympiad (IMO) in Germany, our all six students bagged: 3 silver, 2 bronze medals and one got honorable mention and the country was ranked 28. Over the years, at IMO our rank has been fluctuating from 7 to 52 among about 120 countries each year, so far. Math Olympiad comes under National Board of Higher Mathematics (NBHM) of DAE and it is hosted by HBCSE.
In 2001, I happened to state and prove that when a medium is absorptive/ emissive and spatially asymmetric the reflection from left and right would be unequal. It was a non-intuitive and strange result, which became crucial in starting the theory and experiments on coherent scattering from PT-symmetric, non-Hermitian mediums after 2007-2008 . This is the best thing I could ever say/do [Phys. Rev. A 64, 042716 (2001)].
In 2002, I succeeded in proposing and publishing my first problem in American Mathematical Monthly (AMM) after solving a good number of their problems. It was an integral which became very popular. I remember that I put it on the notice board of our Division, after two days, the then HOD (TP) got it removed from there as if it was blasphemous!
But, one peer took it most seriously, he came to me very specially to ask/gauge its importance and the prospective impact of it. I could only say that people would find it interesting. Friends, I was informed only in 2014 that it had been called “Ahmed’s Integral” (“AI”) and it was well discussed in the literature since its very inception. By the way, this peer heads our Centre now.
Once, I was going to Andheri to deliver a lecture. In the first class of a local train, three management students entered and sat in front of me they were Googling in their mobile phone, suddenly they hit up on “AI”, it was fun to silently watch them quipping and also mocking at “AI”.
In 2013, out of a class room discussion, I happened to publish a paper with a trainee officer, it opened up a new opportunity for me as a good number of trainees, interns and young researchers started coming to me and they made me work and publish towards the end of my career. These young ones worked out things which I could not do for some reason or the other. My last accepted paper is also with a trainee: Koushik, who would ask me questions that I love to answer.
I have been inspired by M. A. Prasad from 1st batch of TS. Prasad Sir, the octogenarian is my Guruji and a friend who is the strongest Mathematician that BARC has ever had. He is still going strong in problem solving. Dr R. Subramanain, Dr K. V. Bhagwat and Sunil Dutta have been other inspriring members of a math club in BARC.
I have also been inspired by the crusade of Dr Abhas Mitra (23rd batch) against Black Holes, his book “Black Hole Paradigm” is selling well in Amazon. I have a special admiration for a dedicated and hardworking nuclear theorist, Dr A. B. Santra from 22th batch my roommate for a long time in Nuclear Physics Division (NPD).
Friends, in mathematics, I try to catch and highlight surprising avenues but my collaborator A. N. Joseph is one step ahead: He can do hair-splitting of mathematical concepts and proofs, he can see problems where there is none usually! He has the distinction of contributing to both Math and Physics Olympiads at various levels.
Since school days my idea of a scientist was a man sitting in a small room with with many chemicals, who mixes “this and that“ to create something new. But I was very week in chemistry I somehow passed it in 12th . I dropped it in B.Sc. for statistics to settle even in a rank 2 college of Kanpur. But when I look back, I think I did nothing but the chemistry of various potentials in QM using mathematics and computer.
[Phys. Lett. A, 287, 243 (2001)] is my most (367) cited paper and [Ahmed, Bender and Berry, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. , 29, L 627 (2005)] is the most cherished collaboration.
Friends, we are in a difficult business, howsoever much we do is less. What is important is that we keep doing it. Much less than 1% of research actually enhances science and the rest creates only a warehouse of information. We shouldn’t be adamant and aggressive, instead, we may wish and pray that one thing or a half we did, enters the 1% slab, if not, it is understandable.
I thank my Centre the magnanimous BARC for harbouring me unconditionally. I regret that I could have done more here, so I may keep working: A Mathematical Physicist can work from anywhere. Some people know how to win an argument and some know how to avoid one. A mathematical physicist can tell a physicist that he does math and to a mathematician he does physics.
If I may suggest something to my Centre, here are two things. 1- If a youngster asks for a change, he/she should be allowed. 2- A youngster (non-PhD/non-M.Tech) should not be put in risky/ fancy projects, only seniors may try them out: This is how, we may even get the elusive Nobel prize or something like that.
In late 80s after getting our official accommodation, when we were leaving Vashi (New Bombay) after some four years, I was surprised to know that a good number of people knew my name around the building and in office buses. It was because my friend Dr G. Ravi Kumar would call out my name from left/right, front/back, high/low mostly in happiness and rarely in anger. Next, he did the same for “AI” and named me well in several committees / meetings in the Centre. Ravi has been a great support all through.
Bhupesh K. Gangrade, Dr. T. V. Chandrasekhar. Rao, A. N. Joseph and Sachin Kumar have played the role of my friend, philosopher and guide. Aruna Nijsure, Dr. Mythili Subramanian, Dr. Paramita Deb, Dr. Dipak Biswas and Dr. P. V. Varde have been great votaries for me.
I feel belonging to my Alma matter: BHU and 27th batch of training school. I have also had short stays at AMU and IIT-Delhi in 1982-83.
I have had the great opportunity of interacting with very bright young minds, the enthusiasts of math of our huge BARC colony which houses 6 schools (upto 10th Std.) and two junior colleges!
On the personal front: My father (RIP) passed away in 2000, I am blessed by the presence of my mother in the buzzing house hold of my brothers and sister in the hometown. My only child (Dr Zoya Ahmed, PharmD) is a Pharmacy and Health Economics professional working in Amsterdam. We like whatever she likes. My wife Shabana Ahmed after being a very fine primary teacher is now becoming a singer at Star-Maker. I carry the best wishes of my relatives from Unnao, Kanpur, Allahabad, Mussoorie and Puna.
We would like to continue in our Karma-Bhoomi (Mumbai), we plan to move to: A/1904 Riverscape, Casario, PALAVA, in Dec 2021 from 14 A Malayagiri Anushaktinagar.
Now, after my retirement, I guess that I will be teaching mostly the pre-degree mathematics. Writing a book is both a professional responsibility and an academic consistency. I will try to write 3 books titled : “Issues in pre-degree mathematics”, “Issues in quantum mechanics in one dimension” and my short true stories with a soft impact: “Memories tapping my back”. Because The one who no one listens to, writes stories.
For time being you may visit:
Google Scholar: Zafar Ahmed and BTS of BARC.
Math Stack Exchange: Zafar Ahmed
True Short Stories: Zafar Ahmed
zahmed@barc.gov.in, zai-alpha@hotmail.com, dr.ahmedz.dsc@gmail.com, 9869226248(M), 9869406208(M).
Bye and thank you very much friends
Zafar Ahmed
I WROTE A STORY 