Before the abacus, calculators, and smartphones, we had the human brain only to solve mathematical problems. Unfortunately, lately most people today depend on technology for simple subtraction and multiplication problems. Yet, some people have the ability to perform mathematical calculations mentally without the use of any tools, even without pens or papers. Mental calculation often involves the use of specific techniques devised for specific types of problems.
Born on 16 November 1998, Priyanshi Somani is an Indian prodigy girl who performs mathematical calculations faster than an electronic calculator. Somani has an incredible ability to create mathematical puzzles and competitive games in her mind to stay occupied and creative. Playing with numbers is pure fun for her, and this approach towards mathematics has given her a completely distinctive ability to accomplish any mathematical calculations within a few minutes.
Her mother recognized her ability at an early stage and urged her to go ahead in mathematics; with her parents’ endless effort, courage, confidence and convictions, she has attained a lot in life and promises to continue to strive for excellence and produce results that exceed expectations.
Check this video to know more about her:
She started mental calculation at the age of six; by the age of eleven, she was the youngest participant at the Mental Calculation World Cup in 2010, which she won. She is the only participant who has scored 100% accuracy in addition, multiplication, and square root calculations till present in all five Mental Calculation World Cups. She bested 36 other competitors from 16 countries, winning the first place by solving the square root of ten six-digit numbers in a record-breaking 6 minutes 51 seconds.
She became the new world-record holder in mental square roots in January 2012, when she calculated the square root of ten six-digit numbers in 2 minutes 43 seconds.
You can watch her doing fast calculation in this video:
It is never too late to start strengthening your brain; you can easily improve your skills in mental arithmetic. If you are interested in building up your mathematical foundations, try the Khan Academy mathematics study track. It goes from primary school to first year university level, and it uses your past answers to figure out which skills you have mastered and which ones you will benefit from practicing.
Or you can just do some training using some useful websites, to learn the different methods of subdividing problems by following the hints at the right side. Here are some recommended websites: windhoff, momonix, and brainhq.
References
brainprick.com
www.examiner.com