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Rudranath Capildeo

1920 – 1970

Politician and mathematician from Trinidad and Tobago

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About Rudranath Capildeo

Lived 1920 – 1970 (aged 50). Rudranath Capildeo was a mathematician, politician, barrister and mathematical Physics.

Career Capildeo held lectureships at the University of London, including at both University College London and at Westfield College. He also taught briefly at Queen's Royal College (1945) and was Principal of the Polytechnic Institute in Port of Spain in 1959.

Capildeo's entry into politics in the late 1950s was because the political figures who entered the DLP in 1957 did not trust each other, and could only agree on him. Though he left Trinidad in 1939 to study medicine, he changed his course of study, focusing on applied mathematics and physics. He was committed to understanding the nature of space and time, and this sparked his interest in understanding Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity. This work led to several new theories, which had practical implications in aerodynamics and space. They included "The Flexure Problem in Elasticity" (Ph.D. thesis) and his study on the "Theory of Rotation and Gravity" named Capildeo's Theory, which had applications in early outer-space expeditions in the 1960s and 1970s.

Personal life He was married to Ruth Goodchild in 1944 and they had one son named Rudy Capildeo. He also has a daughter, Anne Saraswati Gasteen Capildeo, who was born in 1959.

He was the younger brother of Simbhoonath Capildeo, brother-in-law of Seepersad Naipaul, uncle of Nobel Prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul, Shiva Naipaul, and Surendranath Capildeo, uncle-in-law of Nadira Naipaul, and grand uncle of Vahni Capildeo and Neil Bissoondath.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Trinidad and Tobago
Education
University of London, Queen Mary University of London, Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Science
Positions held
Member of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago
Employers
University College London, Westfield College
Awards
Trinity Cross

People in Rudranath Capildeo's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Rudranath Capildeo's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Rudranath Capildeo?

politician and mathematician from Trinidad and Tobago

When was Rudranath Capildeo born?

Rudranath Capildeo was born on 17 February 1920 in Chaguanas.

When did Rudranath Capildeo die?

Rudranath Capildeo died on 12 May 1970 in England.

What was Rudranath Capildeo's occupation?

Rudranath Capildeo was a mathematician, politician, barrister and mathematical Physics.

What nationality was Rudranath Capildeo?

Rudranath Capildeo's recorded nationality: Trinidad and Tobago.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Rudranath Capildeo

· Wikidata: Q7377518

· DBpedia: Rudranath Capildeo

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Rudranath Capildeo. https://biography.guide/rudranath-capildeo/

MLA: "Rudranath Capildeo." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/rudranath-capildeo/.

Chicago: "Rudranath Capildeo." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/rudranath-capildeo/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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