Calcutta Institute of Theoretical Physics organizes four memorial lectures every year which address some issues in contemporary Physics and Applied Mathematics in a university and college student-friendly.
Prof. K.C. Kar Memorial Lecture
In ninetieth century the movement of scientific research in the Eastern part of India was initiated by Sir J.C. Bose and Sir P.C. Ray of Presidency College, Kolkata. Later on this movement was intensified by Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee when he established the Science College in 1914.Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee always encouraged young researchers in their pursuits which eventually culminated in the achievements of Prof. C.V.Raman and Dr.Meghnath Saha and others.
Dr.Kulesh Chandra Kar (1899 -1975), eminent physicist and teacher of Presidency College, Kolkata continued the work of his predecessors. To serve the cause of science Dr. Kar established in 1953 the Institute of Theoretical Physics in his dwelling house at 4/1,Mohan Bagan Lane, Kolkata 700 004 by donating all his belongings in cash and kind for the dissemination of new frontiers of Theoretical Physics and allied subjects. He always inspired young talents to devote themselves wholeheartedly in higher studies and research. As a teacher, he believed in using advanced techniques of Applied mathematics to understand the basic theories of Mechanics, Waves and Vibrations. He wrote textbooks on( i) Introduction to Theoretical Physics (ii) Wave Statistics (iii) Statistical Mechanics (iv) A new approach to the Special Theory of Relativity.
Prof. S.D. Chatterjee Memorial Lecture
Prof. S.D.Chatterjee (1909 -1995), a nuclear physicist worked in the Bose Institute, Kolkata, University of Calcutta, Jadavpur University, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Davy-Faraday Laboratory of the Royal Institution, Technical University of Munich etc. Prof. Chatterjee set up the first radiocarbon dating laboratory in India. He was the first person to measure the half-life of uranium accurately and was also the first to observe the spontaneous fission of uranium.
Prof. S.Ghosh Memorial Lecture
Prof. Suddhodhan Ghosh was head of the Department of Applied Mathematics, Calcutta University. He was also head of the Department of Pure Mathematics, Calcutta University. Prof. Ghosh introduced the “Theory of Number “ in Pure Mathematics. He also taught Analysis there.
Prof. P.P.Chattarji Memorial Lecture
Prof. Prafulla Prasun Chattarji was an eminent Mathematician, Scholar, and Teacher. He was President of the Calcutta Mathematical Society and Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics, Calcutta University. He also acted as Secretary of the Institute of Theoretical Physics ( it is now known as Calcutta Institute of Theoretical Physics) till his death (2010). His subject of specialization was Continuum Mechanics. He taught many topics in M.Sc. courses viz., Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Astronomy, Elasticity, and Plasticity. He was co-author of a few textbooks on Astronomy and Technical Mathematics.
