Hoon Balakram (1876–1929)^[1] was an Indian mathematician, civil servant and Bombay High Court judge.

Biography

Balakram was born in Jalandhar, Punjab in 1876. He received his master's degree from Panjab University and later passed the Mathematical Tripos from the St John's College, Cambridge.^[1]

In 1899 he passed the Indian Civil Service examination. Among other posts in his career he was appointed a Bombay High Court judge in 1929 a month before his death.^[1] He also served as the president of Indian Mathematical Society from 1921 to 26.^[2]

Mathematical achievements

Balakram proved in 1929^[1] that the expression ${\displaystyle {(2n)! \over (n+1)!(n+1)!))$ is an integer for infinitely many values of ${\displaystyle n.}$ He further showed that the expression is an integer for only eight values of ${\displaystyle n\leq 100}$, namely, 5, 14, 27, 41, 44, 65, 76, and 90.