Shaktuntala Devi, an extraordinary mathematical prodigy hailing from India, was born on November 4th, 1939. One of her notable accomplishments took place on June 18th, 1980 at Imperial College in London. In a mere span of 28 seconds, she effortlessly solved the multiplication problem involving two numbers each consisting of 13 digits – specifically, multiplying 7,686,369,774,870 by 2,465,099,745,779. Despite being raised in a modest family residing in Bangalore city within the state of Karnataka, Shaktuntala Devi’s father initially pursued a career as a trapeze and tightrope artist before transitioning into a human cannonball performer at a circus.
At the age of three, it was discovered that Shakuntala Devi is a calculating genius while playing cards with her father. Rather than using trickery, she was able to beat him by memorizing the cards. To learn more about the life history of Shakuntala Devi, read on this biography. At the University of Mysore, when she was six years old, she showcased her calculation skills. She continued to prove her success by demonstrating the same abilities at Annamalai University when she was eight years old.
Contrary to concerns expressed by some, Shakuntala Devi did not lose her ability to calculate as she grew older, unlike other child prodigies such as Truman Henry Safford. In fact, in 1977, she mentally calculated the 23rd root of a 201-digit number. Then, on June 18, 1980, she effortlessly multiplied two randomly selected 13-digit numbers, 7,686,369,774,870 and 2,465,099,745,779, in just 28 seconds. This impressive feat was accomplished at the request of the computer department at Imperial College in London.
Shakuntala Devi, a well-known Indian mathematician, is known as the Human Computer for her incredible talent in solving complex mathematical problems. Her correct answer to a multiplication sum was 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730. This extraordinary feat has earned her a spot on the 26th page of the famous 1995 Guinness Book of Records. Shakuntala Devi is widely regarded as a genius and is highly respected in the world of mathematics.
In 1977, Shakuntala Devi mentally extracted the 23rd root of a 201-digit number, completing the task 12 seconds faster than the Univac-1108. Her extraordinary mental ability earned her a place in the 1995 Guinness Book of Records. Shakuntala Devi’s deep interest in enhancing human learning capacity led her to develop the concept of Mind Dynamics. Born on November 4, 1939 in Bengaluru, she came from a renowned Brahmin priest family and started performing card tricks with her father at the tender age of three.
Shakuntala Devi, who received her early lessons in mathematics from her grandfather, quickly excelled in complex mental arithmetic and was acknowledged as a child prodigy by the age of 5. Demonstrating her exceptional abilities, she amazed a large assembly of students and professors at the University of Mysore. By the time she turned 8, Shakuntala Devi showcased her talents once again, this time at Annamalai University.
Contributions of Shakuntala Devi
In 1977, Shakuntala Devi mentally found the 23rd root of a 201-digit number without any mechanical aid.
In 1980, on June 18th, Shakuntala solved a multiplication problem given to her by the computer science department of Imperial College, London. The problem involved multiplying two 13-digit numbers: 7,686,369,774,870 and 2,465,099,745,779. Shakuntala amazed everyone by solving the question in only 28 seconds and her answer was 18,947,668,177,995,
426
462
773
730.
This extraordinary achievement earned her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Since then,
she has been touring worldwide to perform for students as well as prominent leaders like Prime Ministers,
Presidents,
Politicians,
and Educationalists.
Shakuntala Devi, the author, has written several books including Figuring: The Joy of Numbers, Puzzles to puzzle You, More Puzzles to puzzle you, The Book of Numbers, Mathability: Awaken the Math Genius in Your Child, Astrology for you, Perfect Murder, and In the Wonderland of Numbers. In her book In the Wonderland of Numbers, Shakuntala Devi explores the story of a girl named Neha and her love for numbers.
Shakuntala Devi, known for her books “Astrology for You” and “The World of Homosexuals,” is not only a renowned author but also an accomplished astrologer. She offers remedies based on birth date, time, and location. Her clientele includes famous individuals from diverse domains.
Indian Mathematicial Shakuntala Devi Biography
Shakuntala Devi, who is also known as the Human Computer, is a famous Indian mathematician renowned for her extraordinary skills in solving complex mathematical problems.
Shakuntala Devi, a renowned mathematician and calculating genius from India, is often called the “Human Computer” because of her remarkable ability to solve complex mathematical problems without any mechanical aids. However, Shakuntala Devi herself disagrees with this nickname, firmly believing that the human mind is superior to any computer. Her deep interest in pushing the limits of human learning and cognitive capacity led her to develop the concept of “mind dynamics.” Throughout her career, Shakuntala Devi has amazed and mesmerized audiences worldwide with her extraordinary talents.
Early Life of Shakuntala Devi
Shakuntala Devi, born on November 4, 1939 in Bengaluru, came from a renowned Brahmin priest family. Her father entertained audiences with his magic tricks in educational institutions. Shakuntala Devi, even at the tender age of three, joined him in performing card tricks. Her grandfather was the one who initially taught her mathematics. By the time she was five years old, Shakuntala Devi had already mastered complex mental arithmetic and was acknowledged as a prodigious child.
She demonstrated her talents to a large assembly of students and professors at the University of Mysore a year later. At the age of eight, she also displayed her talents at Annamalai University. In 1977, Shakuntala Devi mentally extracted the 23rd root of a 201-digit number without any mechanical aid. Additionally, on June 18, 1980, she demonstrated the multiplication of two randomly selected 13-digit numbers (7,686,369,774,870 and 2,465,099,745,779) that were chosen by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London.
Shakuntala Devi’s remarkable speed in solving and answering a question earned her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. She provided the correct answer, 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730, in just 28 seconds.
Professional Life of Shakuntala Devi
Through her expertise, she also encourages young minds to explore the realm of mathematics. She believes that a child’s curiosity and openness during infancy and childhood are unparalleled, and that these young minds should be nurtured by providing them with the proper educational methods and inspiration to develop the inherent strengths found in every child.
Shakuntala Devi, a renowned mathematician and author, has traveled extensively to perform for various audiences including students, Prime Ministers, Presidents, Politicians, and Educationalists. One of her world famous books `Figuring: the Joy of Numbers` covers some of her methods of mental calculations. In addition to that, she has also written other popular books such as Puzzles to puzzle You, More Puzzles to Puzzle you, The Book of Numbers, Mathability: Awaken the Math Genius in Your Child, Astrology for you, Perfect Murder, and In the Wonderland of Numbers.
