A Journey into the World of Dr. S. R. Valluri

“Life of a physicist is not always a straight line.”

Imagine sitting down with Dr Valluri, the physicist extraordinaire whose journey began in India, traversing through the intricate landscapes of Mathematical Physics. His face lights up with a gentle smile and a sparkle in his eye as he fondly recounts the early days of his journey. It was a time when Mathematics seemed like an insurmountable challenge, but thanks to the guiding hand of his cousin and tuition teacher, he found his way. This initial struggle eventually culminated in a magnetic force that pulled him into the world of theories, equations, and revelations.

As for the journey to become a physicist, my initial interest was in mathematics. And if you ask me how I got interested in mathematics, it’s a long story. I was, in fact, considered quite weak in mathematics. Part of the reason was that sometimes teachers don't understand what a student's response to what is being covered and if a student can catch up with it quickly. For that, I owe a lot to my cousin, who really gave me quite a bit of coaching, particularly during my formative years. And, to the tuition master, whom my parents engaged, who used to come regularly to tutor me.

And both, I should say to their credit, I owe a lot to them; they recognized where exactly the problem was. And they were soon able to make me understand things.

And once I understood certain things, then I began to learn more on my own, that I didn't have to depend on all the time. Of course, for some topics, you always find you learn more when you talk and when someone teaches you something. But sometimes, when you find that you have the capability of proceeding through things on your own, you begin to do that. Therefore, my initial inspirers, I should say, were my cousin and the tuition master.

And later, I had a high school teacher in mathematics who thought I was very good at mathematics. And, when I graduated from school, I got exactly 100 out of 100 in one of the Math courses. Therefore, what it told and taught me was a very simple story.

You must believe in yourself to a significant extent. People may not always understand you or see how your mind works. I believe everyone has their own weaknesses. It's easy to just sort of emphasize one's weaknesses rather than one's strengths.

With a solid foundation in mathematics and a growing belief in his abilities, Dr Valluri's journey was destined to take a remarkable turn as he ventured into the captivating realm of Physics.

My cousin, who played a pivotal role in teaching me mathematics during my formative years, encouraged me to explore physics as well, emphasizing the synergy between mathematics and physics. He, being a physicist himself, shared his knowledge of physics with me. Gradually, my interest expanded beyond mathematics, encompassing concepts like simple harmonic motion and de Broglie's wave-particle theory. Later, he suggested that I apply to IIT Kanpur for my master's degree. He mentioned a highly regarded professor, Putcha Venkateswarlu, known for his exceptional research. This advice came at a crucial time, as political unrest delayed the publication of my undergraduate results. However, I had secured first place at Osmania University. This was surprising for me as well. As fate would have it, the professor's nephew happened to be in Hyderabad at that time. Upon learning of my interest and recent academic achievements, he promptly informed his uncle. The professor, displaying great kindness, made a swift decision. He declared that if I ranked first or second in the university, they would arrange a special interview for me. Consequently, I embarked on my journey to Kanpur. The journey involved a slow passenger train and a rickshaw ride to the IIT campus. Upon arrival, friendly seniors, including the professor's nephew, guided me. I prepared for the interview using their insights. The interview panel comprised six distinguished members, among them V.K. Deshpande, who had collaborated with George Sudarshan on a remarkable paper about tachyons. Dr. Deshpande posed mathematically oriented questions. Fortunately, I answered most questions well. After an extensive 90-minute interview, they recommended my admission to IIT Kanpur, marking the start of my journey there.

With his admission to IIT Kanpur, Dr Valluri’s journey had embarked on a new chapter. However, Destiny had more international experiences in store. His path eventually led him to Canada, marking a significant transition from the vibrant culture of India. This move was not without its challenges, but Dr. Valluri, guided by his unwavering curiosity and an insatiable thirst for knowledge, confronted these obstacles with determination and resilience.

In my second year of studies, I aimed to explore opportunities abroad. My batch at IIT Kanpur consisted of exceptional students, including the nephew and grandnephew of renowned physicists C.V. Raman and S. Chandrasekhar. IIT Kanpur was considered one of the best institutions at the time. We started with 24 students, narrowing down to 22 due to attrition, and I was fortunate enough to be among those 22 students. During this time, Professor Venkateswarlu, who had been instrumental in guiding me, proposed an opportunity to study abroad at the University of Ottawa, Canada. I applied and was accepted with a full assistantship, thanks to the recommendation of Professor Yatendra Varshni. There, I worked under the mentorship of Robert C. Smith, a Canadian physicist who had been a student of the renowned electrodynamics Professor John David Jackson. Despite not publishing extensively after his PhD, Prof. Smith was an excellent teacher and gave me a lot of time for in-person interactions. I also took courses on relativistic quantum mechanics and Feynman diagrams, Group Theory, and Integral Equations during this time, further expanding my knowledge. The professor gave me a letter of reference for a PhD. My journey continued as I applied to various institutions for my PhD, including the Theoretical Physics Institute at the University of Alberta, where Professor A. B. Bhatia was the acting director at that time. I happened to take a course from Professor Bhatia, a great scientist and teacher, who thought I was very good. He and the great Canadian physicist Professor Werner Israel of the celebrated Black Hole Theorem, a great scientist and teacher who taught me Mathematical Methods, decided to give me letters of reference for my PhD to work with Giorgio Papini, who was looking for a grad student to work on gravitational waves. This is how I went into the field of gravitational waves. I will always remember my great teachers and benefactors Professors Bhatia and Werner Israel.

Dr Valluri’s next destination would be Italy, a place of history, culture, and profound scientific exploration. Join us as we delve into the intriguing chapter of his life that unfolded amidst the picturesque landscapes of Italy, a crucial phase that would shape his path as a physicist in unexpected ways.

Papini, my supervisor during my PhD, was truly exceptional. He invested a significant amount of time in mentoring me, a practice I would later implement when teaching my own students. It's fascinating how some individuals, initially considered academically weak, can flourish remarkably when provided with the right guidance and support. This phenomenon has been a recurring theme in my own teaching experiences.

Working with Papini was a pivotal phase in my journey as a physicist. An interesting twist occurred when he embarked on his sabbatical in Italy, his home country. It provided me with an opportunity to visit Italy as well. I had a strong desire to see my ailing mother in India, and I'm grateful I did, as she passed away the following year. Following my visit to India, I made my way to Italy, marking the start of an intriguing chapter in my life as a physicist.

Arriving at Rome airport was quite an adventure. No one spoke English, and I had to rely on my limited Italian vocabulary to navigate. Observing the locals and asking for help at the information desk, I eventually found my way to a bus heading downtown. I reached the information station near the railway station in the heart of Rome well past 10 o'clock at night. After receiving directions to a nearby pension, approximately 15 minutes away on foot, I wearily made my way there and promptly went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up and headed to the railway station to catch a train to Frascati, a town situated 25 kilometers outside Rome.

My destination was the astrophysics labs at the European Space Research Institute in Frascati. The Italian people proved to be exceptionally hospitable, and the Director arranged for a comfortable suite of rooms for me in the hilltop observatory at Monteporzzio, about five miles from the astrophysics labs. During the night, the observatory became my domain, while the daytime saw the presence of workers. This arrangement provided me with a unique opportunity for exploration. During my time in Italy, I had the privilege of learning from some outstanding physicists who greatly enriched my knowledge.

During his academic journey, Dr Valluri embarked on a fascinating detour, taking him to the enchanting city of Trieste, Italy. This wasn't your typical travel adventure but rather an academic pilgrimage to the International Center of Theoretical Physics, led by the renowned physicist Abdus Salam. It was a place where ideas and equations flowed as freely as the nearby Adriatic Sea.

Dr. Valluri shared, "I wanted to explore what that place looked like."

Fast forward a year, and he found himself crafting his PhD thesis, a monumental task that bore the imprints of his rigorous mathematical training. Professor Anadi Jeevan Das, a distinguished mathematical physicist, played a crucial role in guiding Dr Valluri's research journey. With a PhD from the Institute of Advanced Studies in Dublin and tutelage under the famous J. L. Synge, Professor Das provided invaluable insights and perspectives on how to extend the boundaries of his thesis.

And then, during academic pursuits, a twist of fate occurred. "That's where I met my better half," Dr. Valluri chuckled. Love had entered the equation. Marriage soon followed, adding a new dimension to his life.

Afterwards, he returned to Canada, where his Professor, Giorgio Papini, ensured that the young physicist had not only the opportunity to conduct research but also to share his knowledge through teaching. "Both of them should go together," he quoted his Professor.

For three years, Dr. Valluri did exactly that, conducting interesting research and imparting knowledge to eager minds.

Dr. Valluri had the chance to encounter an electrical engineer, Prakash Bhartia, who shared his passion for physics. Conversations flowed freely, and they found themselves pondering an intriguing question: Could Maxwell's equations, the bedrock of classical electromagnetism, ever be nonlinear?

The idea was captivating. Dr. Valluri recalled, "It would be quite interesting to work on that." A spark of curiosity was all it took. The electrical engineer, a physicist in his own right, saw potential in their musings. When a research grant came through, he wasted no time in extending the offer to Dr. Valluri. "Would you like to work on this topic?" he asked.

Without hesitation, Dr. Valluri accepted. For the next six months, he delved into the intricacies of nonlinear Maxwell's equations, walking along a path that was seldom chosen. His dedicated efforts resulted in a treasure trove of calculations, amounting to hundreds of pages, that led to the interesting work on the famous Lagrangian called the Heisenberg-Euler Lagrangian and the proof of the existence of higher harmonics in the interaction of electromagnetic fields.

Valluri and Prakash Bhatia, a world-renowned expert in microwave physics, penned a paper that would be published in the Canadian Journal of Physics. This work would catch the attention of physicists as far as the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, sparking international collaboration and further research.

As the pages of his scientific journey turned, Dr. Valluri found himself at a crossroads. The quest for knowledge was unrelenting, and his thirst for discovery remained unquenched. Yet, academic pursuits are often intertwined with the search for stability, a job that would provide the necessary foundation for his scientific explorations.

Dr. Valluri's journey wasn't just about research and teaching. It was also marked by significant moments of networking and serendipity. He vividly recalled attending the American Physical Society meeting in January 1979, New York, a bustling hub of physicists from around the world.  Although he was busy and occupied then, he was also happy as his son Chandrasekhar was born the same month and year in India!

Attending such prestigious gatherings can be quite challenging. I couldn't help but notice the condescension of some prospective employers, who seemed too preoccupied to inquire about my credentials. However, I decided to take a chance on the last day of the event.

Spotting a bearded gentleman in the crowd, I approached him. This encounter would prove to be transformative. He introduced himself as David Finkelstein. Without hesitation, I expressed my interest in the job hunt. Finkelstein's response was more than welcoming. "Why don't you give me your resume?" he suggested, providing his full name and phone number.

What I soon realized was that I had encountered none other than David Finkelstein, the renowned physicist who had made significant contributions by introducing the Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates in general relativity. This chance meeting opened the door to new opportunities and led me to Georgia Tech, where I would have the privilege of learning from this great and unorthodox physicist on intriguing subjects like the Raychaudhuri equation and space-time coding.

Dr. Valluri, reflecting on his academic journey, recalled important moments that shaped his career and outlook on physics. After completing his Ph.D., he reached out to the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, seeking a one-year visiting opportunity. To his delight, Professor Abdus Salam extended an invitation, albeit for a shorter duration of five weeks, in 1975. In 1979, Dr. Valluri's academic journey led him back to Italy during the Einstein Centenary. A summer school organized to honour Einstein's legacy provided him with the platform to present a talk on the captivating subject of the conversion of photons into gravitons. Following this engagement in Sicily, he made his way to Trieste. During this visit, serendipity played its part, as he had the privilege of spending an evening with Professor Abdus Salam, who was one of the 1979 Nobel Prize Winners for his profound contributions to the unification of weak and electromagnetic interactions. During their conversation, Professor Salam generously shared his insights and wisdom with Dr. Valluri. They delved into the intricacies of photons transitioning into gravitons, a topic that had long fascinated him. What struck Dr. Valluri most during this interaction was Professor Salam's acknowledgement of his adventurous audacity in pursuing his passion for physics without the safety net of a conventional job. Dr Valluri chuckled and recalled Professor Salam’s sagacious advice: “It will be good if you get a steadier job sometime soon.”

Sir spoke to us about his passion for teaching and how it all began. The opportunity to impart knowledge and inspire young minds always holds a special place in his heart.

One of the defining aspects of my academic journey has been my passion for teaching. At Georgia Tech, I was presented with the opportunity to teach large classes. Initially, my teaching style was met with mixed reviews. Some students found my approach too philosophical for their liking. When word reached Professor Finkelstein, naturally, he was upset. He figured it would be better if someone else handled the class and I assisted them. But the next year, the reviews were strongly positive, to such an extent that I had students come up to me unannounced simply to express that they liked my classes very much. This change in student reception marked a turning point in my teaching career. Following this, I ventured to Atlanta University, one of the oldest black universities in the US, for a year of teaching.

Subsequently, I received the prestigious Humboldt fellowship on the recommendation of the great Professor Dr. Werner Scheid, which led me to Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany for three enriching years. Two of those years were dedicated to in-depth research, and in the third year, I taught mathematics and physics to the U.S. Army and Air Force members at the European Division of the University of Maryland. During my stay in Germany, our precious daughter Silpa was born in Giessen.

Dr. Valluri reflected on his early days at Western Ontario, where he embarked on explorations in various avenues of mathematical physics, including scattering theory and how he got his first NSERC discovery grant.

When I joined Western Ontario after completing my Ph.D., my academic journey took a new turn. I continued to delve into scattering theory and various aspects of mathematical physics. However, academic interests can be fickle, and soon, the prevailing trend started to shift away from my areas of focus. Many considered scattering theory less appealing at the time. Nevertheless, my unwavering fascination with gravitational waves remained intact, and I was convinced that this was a field worth exploring further.

To embark on this journey, I decided to seek support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). I submitted my application for an NSERC discovery grant, eager to delve deeper into gravitational wave research. Unfortunately, my initial application faced rejection. But I wasn't ready to give up just yet.

I knew that my work was valuable, and I had evidence to back it up. At that time, NSERC had a somewhat unconventional rule—they required papers to be in print before considering them in grant applications. This rule didn't account for the varying publication timelines of different journals, and some of my papers were already accepted but not yet in print.

So, I decided to appeal their decision. I made a strong case, highlighting the four papers that were on the cusp of publication. NSERC, to their credit, recognized their initial error and requested three letters of reference from external reviewers, a step they hadn't taken before in my application process.

Among the reviewers was Professor Werner Israel, who happened to be one of my former teachers. He was impressed by my work and strongly recommended that I be granted funding. Another key reviewer, Berndt Müller, also provided a strong endorsement.

Thanks to their support and the recognition of NSERC's initial oversight, I was awarded my first NSERC grant in Canada. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of my more profound journey into the realm of gravitational waves. Then, I applied for a visiting fellowship to IUCAA Pune. Professor J.V. Narlikar was pleased to invite me to visit IUCAA, Pune, for over five weeks. This is how I started my research interaction with IUCAA in the early nineties.

Dr Valluri's journey, transitioning from his early struggles with mathematics to his work on gravitational waves, has been nothing short of remarkable. Eager to delve into a lighter topic, we ventured into a discussion about the fascinating commonalities between the world of physics and the world of dance—an area where Dr Valluri and his wife, both with distinctly different backgrounds, find an intriguing meeting point.

Addressing the question of how physics and dance intersect, Dr. Valluri provided an insightful perspective. He emphasized that, over the years, he has come to appreciate that the world cannot be neatly compartmentalized. Each person possesses unique gifts and characteristics, and recognizing and embracing these differences can lead to profound connections.

His journey into the world of dance began when he witnessed his wife's performances after their marriage. It was through this experience that he realized the depth, artistry, and connection to the real world that dance, and music inherently carry. The intricate dance steps, the harmonious jingling of anklets, and the rhythmic vibrations all weave together into a symphony of mathematical combinations.

While Dr Valluri humbly admitted that attempting these dance moves himself would likely end in disaster, he passionately delved into the underlying essence of dance. He highlighted the profound connection between physics and dance, where the physics of frequencies, modes of vibration, and mathematical harmonies converge with expressive movements of the art form.

Intriguingly, Dr. Valluri pointed out the existence of a remarkable book titled "The Physics of Dance" by Kenneth Law, a professor from City College in New York State. This book, he noted, brilliantly explores the intricate interplay between physics and the world of dance, underscoring the richness of this connection.

Dr Valluri shared an anecdote where he found himself unexpectedly tasked with introducing his wife on stage during her dance performances—an unfamiliar territory for him. This experience, though initially daunting, proved to be a transformative learning opportunity. Dr Valluri candidly recalled the initial struggles he faced as he navigated the challenge of communicating effectively with a general audience. Over time, he honed his ability to convey complex ideas to a broader audience, a skill that has become invaluable in both his academic pursuits and his interactions beyond the realm of physics.

Dr Valluri then spoke about his experience and collaboration with IUCAA Pune, from 1991 when Professor Narlikar kindly invited him to visit and work with IUCAA Faculty and subsequently the connection to the LIGO project. He also spoke about his long-lasting friendship with the Nobel laureate Kip Thorne.

My journey into the world of gravitational waves took an exciting turn when I began collaborating with IUCAA Pune, led by Professor Sanjeev Dhurandhar, a distinguished mathematical physicist with significant contributions to gravitational wave research. Our partnership also involved his graduate student, Kanti Jotania. Together, we delved into the complexities of the Fourier transform of gravitational wave signals, a topic that had not received extensive attention at the time.

Kanti's proficiency in computation, coupled with Sanjeev’s mathematical genius, proved invaluable as we explored this intriguing subject. Sanjeev, despite being the expert among us, allowed me to lead the exploration in directions that I found interesting. Our collective efforts culminated in a noteworthy paper published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, a prestigious European journal. This publication marked our maiden voyage into unravelling the mysteries of the Fourier transform of gravitational waves.

An exciting development arose as Sanjeev and his colleagues had a fruitful collaboration with Bernard Schutz, a prominent figure in the gravitational wave community and a former student of Nobel laureate Kip Thorne. Fortuitously, I received an invitation to spend a summer in Cardiff, collaborating with Sathyaprakash, another rising star in gravitational wave physics.

My connection with IUCAA Pune opened doors to a wealth of knowledge, and I eagerly delved into the extensive literature on LIGO. During this period, I had the privilege of meeting Kip Thorne, at my teacher Werner Israel’s Fest, who graciously extended an invitation for me to spend over a week at Caltech. This exceptional opportunity materialized when I was collaborating with Professor Nancy Innis, a psychologist, on a project involving Richard Tolman, a distinguished theoretical physicist and his brother Edward Tolman, a distinguished psychologist with a sound knowledge and skills in theoretical physics, who applied them in theoretical aspects of psychology. Tolman, who had invited Einstein to Caltech during a time when general relativity was met with skepticism, played a pivotal role in shaping Einstein's career. During my stay at Caltech, I explored the archives and visited the house where Einstein once resided.

My interactions with Professor Kip Thorne continue to this day as we maintain a warm and enduring connection. Every year, I extend my greetings to him, a reminder of the kindness and generosity of the remarkable individuals I have had the privilege to meet throughout my professional journey.

When the conversation took a lighter turn, we delved into Dr. Valluri's passion for yoga and its profound impact on both his personal and professional life. Reflecting on his early years as a student, he recognized the physical toll of long hours spent studying and researching. Traditional sports like cricket offered some exercise but didn't address the need for overall body fitness and flexibility.

It was during this time that he crossed paths with a yoga teacher who would become a crucial influence. Dr. Valluri candidly admitted to his initial stiffness and limitations but credited his teacher for his patience and guidance. Within just two and a half months of dedicated practice, he witnessed significant improvements in his flexibility and overall physical well-being.

Dr Valluri's journey in yoga didn't stop there. He realized the importance of pranayama, the art of breathing, and how it complements the physical aspects of yoga. His passion for yoga even inspired his wife, who initially had a background in dance and teaches dance, to embrace this ancient practice. She went on to become a yoga instructor, teaching at their campus for over 25 years.

“Yoga is one of the best things India has offered to the world.”

To this day, yoga remains an integral part of Dr. Valluri's life. He diligently practices yoga every morning, devoting around 45 minutes to a routine that includes various postures and focused breathing exercises. Impressively, he has maintained this practice for over 50 years, a testament to the enduring and lifelong benefits of yoga.

Anyone who has looked into Dr Valluri’s recent research endeavours can't help but encounter the Lambert W function—a mathematical gem that Dr Valluri stumbled upon, much like finding hidden treasure. An afternoon seminar turned into a eureka moment, sparking a passion for this intriguing mathematical function.

Back in 1995, about 28 years ago, was my first encounter with the Lambert W function during one of our Tuesday seminars in Applied Mathematics. My colleague and dear friend, Rob Corless, was the speaker that day, and when Rob gets passionate about a topic, he truly shines. He gave an outstanding talk on the Lambert W function, and I found myself completely engaged throughout, despite the usual afternoon seminar lull. I was so captivated that I asked Rob a question during the session that turned out to be a precursor to many exciting developments. I asked him if he thought this function would find applications in fields like quantum mechanics or statistical mechanics. While he wasn't a physicist, he appreciated the question's significance and suggested it was quite possible.

Over the next year or two, I continued pondering over the Lambert W function. In 1998, while preparing homework for my quantum mechanics and electromagnetic theory courses, I stumbled upon a remarkable revelation. I decided to look at Planck’s Black Body distribution Function and black-body radiation for my student’s class homework. To my astonishment, within just 15-20 minutes, I realized that the Lambert W function held the key. It provided the exact solution to Wien’s displacement Law, and this connection between the function and black-body radiation was simply mind-blowing.

Excitedly, I reached out to my colleagues, David Jeffrey, and Rob Corless, who played pivotal roles in introducing the Lambert W function to the world. They coined the name "Lambert W" and collaborated with the renowned Donald Knuth on a paper about this function. When we submitted our paper on the Lambert W function to the American Journal of Physics, we encountered a knowledgeable reviewer, albeit somewhat cranky, who, unfortunately, misunderstood our intentions and thought we were trying to advertise Maple, recommended that our work should not be published. Consequently, the paper was rejected, which was disheartening.

However, a colleague from the Canadian Association of Physics, Baylis, who was an exceptional mathematical physicist and an APS fellow, suggested we submit it to the Canadian Journal of Physics. This decision led to a unique journey for our paper. Another reviewer pointed out intriguing historical connections, including Ramanujan's work on a slightly similar function. Interestingly, this paper, initially rejected by the American Journal of Physics, gained recognition and citations from prestigious institutions worldwide. It's been cited by researchers from over 95 institutions across more than 120 countries.

This adventure with the Lambert W function sparked inspiring collaborations with Ken Roberts, colleague and friend who shared my enthusiasm for this subject, Professor Pranawa Deshmukh who facilitated my visits and interactions with students at IIT Tirupati on the role of Quantum Statistics in Thermoelectric, Thermoelectric Metamaterials and Metamaterials and, my colleague Prof. Najeh Jisrawi. We happily explored various aspects, from quantum finite square wells, double square wells, the Wiedemann Franz Law and Thermoelectric Figure of Merit and Metamaterials to name but a few. The Lambert W and Polylogs work also led to interesting work with Professor Shantanu Basu, my colleague here in Physics and Astronomy, on Brown Dwarfs, where we found analytic results for Brown Dwarfs and their Equation of State in terms of the Polylog Functions and, B.G. Sidharth, Birla Sciences Institute, Hyderabad, on the cosmic microwave background in the Universe and Graphene, the wonder material and, friendship and research interaction with the Late Prof. Howard Lee, the great Korean-American mathematical physicist and a world expert on Polylogarithm Functions and Statistical Mechanics. There's still much to uncover, and we hope talented students like you will continue to explore these exciting avenues.

When asked about how the world has changed, sir shared his invaluable observations. He also shared with us his thoughts on retirement.

I must say that I'm quite impressed by the students of today. They seem to possess a diverse set of skills, particularly in mathematics and computation, which are essential in the modern academic landscape. Many of them demonstrate a remarkable aptitude for blending these skills, which is a valuable trait. Additionally, I've noticed that students today approach problems with greater flexibility compared to my time as a student. This adaptability is a positive trend.

Regarding the educational system, especially in India, I've observed significant progress. Institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), where I began my academic journey, have always been renowned, but I believe they have made substantial improvements over the years. The commitment to education and research has grown stronger.

As for retirement, well, I don't see myself retiring anytime soon. When the good Lord asks me to stop, I will. Until then, I don't see any reason why I should. The students are a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me. When you wake up each morning with a sense of purpose and a list of things to accomplish, it provides the energy and drive to continue working. It is the students who keep me enthused and motivated, and I get the energy to do things. Because when you wake up every day in the morning, realizing that you have certain things to do, etc., it gives you much more energy and the will to live and survive and do something. I find the easiest way to be completely slack and disengaged is just to think of a comfortable retirement. I think you pay a price for that. This, I think, is the general opinion of academics. If you are in a corporate life, maybe after doing so many decades of work in the corporate world, you feel that you have had enough of that, and you would like to have a change. There’s nothing wrong in wanting a change. Ultimately, it's about finding what keeps you motivated and fulfilled.

His advice for all students reading this article,

Do what you like and do it with enthusiasm and love, and then you will begin to find things that you never thought you could find, and you enjoy doing things. The important thing is to like what you do. Don't do it just because someone else has asked you to do something. It doesn't help anybody. You must like what you do. And if you get quick results, it's fine. You're lucky, but if you don't get quick results, don't get discouraged. Like, you see the recent, last year one of the Nobel laureates Clauser never had a tenured faculty position in his life, but he was happy, he did his work, he survived, and ultimately, he has been proven right. So, what else can you expect? These things happen. Ups and downs. Not everyone has a smooth ride, that's for sure.

As we wind down this incredible journey, we asked him what he would like to be remembered for. What does he want his legacy to look like?

The thing I want to be remembered for is when you are on the lookout for something, it can happen in the most unexpected of ways. And if you happen to find it, just make sure you take it. Don't lose it. And the same thing when you find a problem hard; give it a break, but don't drop it completely. Let it stay in your mind. Suddenly, you may find, even say ten years later, that the problem is one that you can solve, which has happened to me quite a few times, to me as well. These are some of the simple things I want people to remember.

And there are a few things I want people to remember me for: 1) how do you convert photons to gravitons? 2) my adventures into the ubiquitous Lambert W and Polylog Functions 3) the Heisenberg-Euler Lagrangian - light scattering with light in the limit of very strong fields, 4)  an extension of Isaac Newton’s Apsidal Precession Theorem intimately connected to the Tests of the precession of the Perihelion of Mercury and Deviations from the Inverse Square Law of Gravitation in Courses on Newton’s Principia and General Relativity cotaught with Professor Bill Harper in the Philosophy Department at UWO, 5) a study done with Professor Bill Romo on the partial derivatives of the scattering phase shift with respect to momentum and angular momentum in potential scattering problems in various fields which is connected to time delays and resonance widths. These are the little things I want to be remembered for.

Our voyage with Dr. S. R. Valluri was nothing short of an enthralling adventure through the corridors of science. From India to Canada, from gravitational waves to the Lambert W and Polylog functions, and from passion to legacy—his story is a beacon for every aspiring physicist. We thank him for his invaluable time sitting down with Team Udaan and answering all our questions. We would also like to thank Prof. P C Deshmukh and our Director Prof. K.N. Satyanarayana, who not only facilitated the research interactions but were instrumental in facilitating the visits and hospitality of Dr and Mrs. Valluri at IIT Tirupati.

So, as we bid adieu to this captivating expedition, let's embrace our own journeys with the same enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge that Dr. Valluri embodies. After all, the universe is vast, and there are still countless mysteries waiting to be unraveled. Who knows what you might discover next?