C. R. Rao and his contribution in Statistics. #happy100thbirthdayprofcrrao
A very Happy Birthday to the living legend and doyen of Indian Statistics,Prof. Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao , popularly known as Prof. C. R. Rao.
A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.
From getting up early in the morning and working at candle light, making hand calculations on a paper, to inventing his famous inequality in one night of 1944,
C. R. Rao is among the world leaders in statistical science over the last seven decades. His research, scholarship, and professional services have had a profound influence on theory and applications of statistics.
Born in 1920 in Karnataka State, he was the eighth child in a family of six brothers and four sisters and was named Radhakrishna following the tradition of naming the eighth child after God Krishna. However, his mother’s discipline and his father’s encouraging him to solve mathematical problems, benefitted him a lot.
C. R. Rao’s contribution in the field of statistics and mathematics are too enough to be enumerated.
He has organized research and training programs for outstanding students which "put India not far from the center of the statistical map of the world". Together with the Central Statistical Organization and the National Sample Survey in Planning of which C. R. Rao played a significant role. India has one of the best statistical systems. He founded the Indian Econometric Society, which has been active in promoting quantitative studies in econometrics for planning purposes. He also founded the Indian Society for Medical Statistics which hold conferences every year to discuss problems of current interest.
Apart from all these, he fundamentally contributed to statistical theory and methodology, including unbiased estimation, variance reduction by sufficiency, efficiency of estimation, information geometry, multivariate analysis, estimation theory, and differential geometry, as well as the application of matrix theory in linear statistical inference.
His other contributions also include "the Fisher–Rao theorem, Rao distance, and orthogonal arrays". He is the author of 14 books and has published over 400 journal publications. He has supervised the doctoral research of 50 students who have, in turn, trained another 390 doctoral students themselves. Most of his former students now are employed in universities and other research organizations worldwide, many becoming research leaders in their areas of specialization.
Picture taken during a conference at the CR Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science in Hyderabad at the end of December 2013. In the picture there are four other: SB Rao, TJ Rao, BV Rao and MB Rao.
He retired from teaching at the age of 80, but he is still active as the Director of the Center for Multivariate Analysis at Pennsylvania State University and the founder of the C. R. Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (CRRAO AIMSCS) University of Hyderabad Campus.
At International year of Statistics 2013, at ISI, Chennai center.
He possess a great sense of humor and deep interest in everything related to data analysis and statistical education. Nowadays, he is writing a book on Neural Networks as he is determined to stay in the main stream of modern statistical learning and data mining.
During the last 5 years he has been active in developing a research institute to promote research in mathematics, statistics, and computer science. With the help of funds raised by him, including his own substantial contribution, and a grant from the Prime Minister, a building named as CRRAO AIMSCS has been built on the campus of the University of Hyderabad.
Some other unseen pictures of Prof. CR Rao:
