Who is the Indian to beat the computers in Mathematical Wizardry?
VerifiedAnswer: Shakunthala Devi
Explanation:
Shakunthala Devi, born on November 4, 1929, in Bangalore, was an extraordinary Indian mathematician who earned the title "Human Computer" for her incredible mental calculation abilities. She became famous worldwide for performing complex mathematical calculations faster than electronic calculators and computers of her time.
Her most remarkable achievement came on June 18, 1980, at Imperial College London, where she demonstrated her mathematical genius by multiplying two randomly selected 13-digit numbers (7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779) in just 28 seconds. This feat was verified by independent witnesses and established her place in the Guinness Book of World Records. What made this even more impressive was that the computer at Imperial College took longer to verify her answer than it took her to calculate it!
Shakunthala Devi's mathematical abilities extended far beyond simple calculations. She could extract cube roots and calculate the day of the week for any date in the past or future. Her talent was discovered at the tender age of three when she was playing cards with her father and correctly calculated the scores without counting the cards individually.
Throughout her career, she traveled extensively across the world, giving demonstrations at universities, colleges, and public venues. She appeared on numerous television shows and challenged computers in mathematical competitions, consistently proving that the human mind could outperform machines in certain computational tasks. Her performances weren't just about speed; they were about the beauty and joy of mathematics.
Beyond her calculating abilities, Shakunthala Devi was also a prolific writer. She authored several books on mathematics, puzzles, and even cookbooks. Her book "Figuring: The Joy of Numbers" helped popularize mathematics among children and adults alike. She believed that mathematics should be fun and accessible to everyone, not something to be feared.
Her legacy continues to inspire students and mathematicians today. Shakunthala Devi proved that with dedication, practice, and natural talent, the human mind could achieve seemingly impossible feats. She passed away on April 21, 2013, but her contribution to mathematics and her role as a mathematical wizard who consistently defeated computers remains unmatched in history.
