Mental calculator
Encyclopedia
Mental calculators are people with a prodigious ability in some area of mental calculation
, such as multiplying
large numbers or factoring
large numbers. Some rare mental calculators are autistic savants, with a narrow area of great skill and poor mental development in other directions, but many are people of normal mental development who have simply developed advanced calculating ability. A good many are also experienced scientist
s, linguist
s, writers, and so on.
Mental calculators were in great demand in research centers such as CERN
before the advent of modern electronic calculators and computers. See, for instance, the 1983 book The Great Mental Calculators, whose introduction was written by Hans Eberstark
.
The world's best mental calculators are invited every two years to compete for the Mental Calculation World Cup
. On July 2nd, 2008, Alberto Coto García
of Spain succeeded Robert Fountain of Great Britain as world champion.
Michael O'Boyle, an American psychologist
previously working in Australia
and now at Texas Tech University
, has recently used MRI scanning of blood
flow during mental operation in mathematical prodigies to display startling results. These math prodigies show increases in blood flow to parts of the brain
responsible for mathematical operations during a mental rotation task that are greater than the typical increases (see Cognitive Brain Research, October, 2005).
's novel Dune
, specially trained mental calculators known as Mentat
s have replaced mechanical computers completely. Several important supporting characters in the novel, namely Piter De Vries
and Thufir Hawat
, are Mentats. Paul Atreides
was originally trained as one without his knowledge. However, these Mentats do not specialize in mathematical calculations, but in total recall of many different kinds of data. For example, Thufir Hawat is able to recite various details of a mining operation, including the number of various pieces of equipment, the people to work them, the profits and costs involved, etc. In the novel he is never depicted as doing actual academic mathematical calculations. Mentats were valued for their capacity as humans to store data, because computers and "thinking machines" are outlawed.
In Roald Dahl
's novel, "Matilda
", the lead character is portrayed having exceptional mathematical skills as she computes her dad's profit without the need for paper computations. During class (she is a first-year elementary school student), she does large-number multiplication problems in her head almost instantly.
Andrew Jackson "Slipstick" Libby is a calculating prodigy in Robert A. Heinlein
's story Methuselah's Children
.
In Haruki Murakami
's novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
, a class of mental calculators known as Calcutecs perform cryptography
in a sealed-off portion of their brains, the results of which they are unable to access from their normal waking consciousness.
In the Fox television show Malcolm in the Middle
, Malcolm Wilkerson displays astounding feats of automatic mental calculation, which causes him to fear his family will see him as a "freak," and causes his brother to ask, "Is Malcolm a robot?"
In Darren Aronofsky
's film, Pi
, Maximillian Cohen is asked a few times by a young child with a calculator to do large multiplications and divisions in his head, to which he promptly answers.
In the movie Little Man Tate
, Fred Tate in the audience blurts out the answer during a mental calculation contest.
In the sci-fi thriller Cube
, one of the prisoners, Kazan, appears to be mentally disabled but is revealed later in the film to be an autistic savant, who is able to calculate prime factors in his head.
In the 2006 film Stranger than Fiction, the main character, Harold Crick, is able to perform rapid arithmetic at the request of his co-workers.
In another Fox television show Fringe (TV series)
the third episode of the third season Olivia and her fellow Fringe Division members encounter an individual with severe cognitive impairment who has been given experimental nootropics and as a result has become a mathematical genius. The individual is able to calculate hundreds of simultaneous equations simultaneously which he uses to manipulate to his advantage to avoid being returned to his original state of cognitive impairment.
, an international competition that attempts to find the world's best mental calculator, and also the best at specific types of mental calculation, such as multiplication or calendar reckoning. The top three final placings from each of the world cups that have been staged to date are shown below.
The Mind Sports Olympiad has staged an annual world championships since 1997.
The Mind Sports Organisation
recognises three International Grandmasters of Mental Calculation: Robert Fountain (1999), George Lane (2001) and Gert Mittring
(2005), and one International Master, Andy Robertshaw (2008).
Mental calculation
Mental calculation comprises arithmetical calculations using only the human brain, with no help from calculators, computers, or pen and paper. People use mental calculation when computing tools are not available, when it is faster than other means of calculation , or in a competition context...
, such as multiplying
Multiplication
Multiplication is the mathematical operation of scaling one number by another. It is one of the four basic operations in elementary arithmetic ....
large numbers or factoring
Factorization
In mathematics, factorization or factoring is the decomposition of an object into a product of other objects, or factors, which when multiplied together give the original...
large numbers. Some rare mental calculators are autistic savants, with a narrow area of great skill and poor mental development in other directions, but many are people of normal mental development who have simply developed advanced calculating ability. A good many are also experienced scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s, linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
s, writers, and so on.
Mental calculators were in great demand in research centers such as CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
before the advent of modern electronic calculators and computers. See, for instance, the 1983 book The Great Mental Calculators, whose introduction was written by Hans Eberstark
Hans Eberstark
Hans Eberstark was an Austrian linguist, translator, and mental calculator. He died on 19 December 2001.Eberstark often lectured on language and translation in Europe and was known for asking someone whose first language was a small local dialect of German to speak with him ; after a couple minutes...
.
The world's best mental calculators are invited every two years to compete for the Mental Calculation World Cup
Mental Calculation World Cup
-Mental Calculation World Cup 2004:The first Mental Calculation World Cup was held in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany on 30 October 2004. There were 17 participants from 10 countries.The World Cup involved the following contests :...
. On July 2nd, 2008, Alberto Coto García
Alberto Coto García
Alberto Coto García is a mental calculator and was the world champion in mental calculation from 2008 to 2010....
of Spain succeeded Robert Fountain of Great Britain as world champion.
Michael O'Boyle, an American psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
previously working in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and now at Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, has recently used MRI scanning of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
flow during mental operation in mathematical prodigies to display startling results. These math prodigies show increases in blood flow to parts of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
responsible for mathematical operations during a mental rotation task that are greater than the typical increases (see Cognitive Brain Research, October, 2005).
Mental calculators from history
- Aitken, Alexander CraigAlexander AitkenAlexander Craig Aitken was one of New Zealand's greatest mathematicians. He studied for a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where his dissertation, "Smoothing of Data", was considered so impressive that he was awarded a DSc in 1926, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh...
, http://www.mentalcalculation.com/misc/bbc1954.html - Bidder, George ParkerGeorge Parker BidderGeorge Parker Bidder was an English engineer, architect and calculating prodigy.Born in the town of Moretonhampstead, Devon, England, he displayed a natural skill at calculation from an early age...
- Buxton, JedediahJedediah BuxtonJedediah Buxton was a noted English mental calculator, born at Elmton, near Bolsover, in Derbyshire. Although his father was schoolmaster of the parish, and his grandfather had been the vicar, his education had been so neglected that he could not write; and his knowledge, except of numbers, was...
- Colburn, ZerahZerah Colburn (math prodigy)Zerah Colburn was a child prodigy of the 19th century who gained fame as a mental calculator.-Biography:He was born in Cabot, Vermont in 1804 and educated at Westminster School in London. He was thought to be mentally retarded until the age of seven. However, after six weeks of schooling his...
- Dase, Johann Zacharias
- Deshong, Peter M.
- De Grote, Herbert
- Devi, ShakuntalaShakuntala DeviShakuntala Devi is a calculating prodigy who was born on November 4, 1939 in Bangalore, India. Her father worked in a "Brahmin circus" as a trapeze and tightrope performer, and later as a lion tamer and a human cannonball. Her calculating gifts first demonstrated themselves while she was doing...
- Diamandi, Pericles
- Dysart, WillisWillis DysartWillis Nelson Dysart is an American mental calculator. Born in the U.S. state of Georgia in 1924, his talent for arithmetic emerged at the age of three after his mother taught him to count...
(a.k.a. Willie the Wizard) - Eberstark, HansHans EberstarkHans Eberstark was an Austrian linguist, translator, and mental calculator. He died on 19 December 2001.Eberstark often lectured on language and translation in Europe and was known for asking someone whose first language was a small local dialect of German to speak with him ; after a couple minutes...
- Finkelstein, SaloSalo FinkelsteinSalo Finkelstein was a mental calculator, ranked eighth in the "100 Greatest Mental Calculators". He was born in Lodz to a Jewish family....
- Fuller, ThomasThomas Fuller (slave)Thomas Fuller , also known as Negro Tom and the Virginia Calculator, was an enslaved African renowned for his mathematical abilities.-History:...
- Gauss, Carl FriedrichCarl Friedrich GaussJohann Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician and scientist who contributed significantly to many fields, including number theory, statistics, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, geophysics, electrostatics, astronomy and optics.Sometimes referred to as the Princeps mathematicorum...
- Griffith, Arthur F.Arthur F. GriffithArthur F. Griffith , nicknamed "Pooze," was a calculating prodigy born July 30, 1880 in Milford, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He could count to 25,000 by age 5. An illness at age seven resulted in epilepsy and prevented him from attending school until age 10. At age 12, he began to develop...
- Inaudi, JacquesJacques InaudiJacques Inaudi was an Italian calculating prodigy.He was born in Onorato, Piedmont, Italy. As a child he was a shepherd but showed aptitude for mental calculations...
- Klein, WimWillem KleinWillem Klein , also known as Wim Klein or under his stage names Pascal and Willy Wortel, was a Dutch mathematician, famous for being able to carry out very complicated calculations in his head very fast. On 27 August 1976, he calculated the 73rd root of a 500-digit number in 2 minutes and 43 seconds...
(a.k.a. Willem KleinWillem KleinWillem Klein , also known as Wim Klein or under his stage names Pascal and Willy Wortel, was a Dutch mathematician, famous for being able to carry out very complicated calculations in his head very fast. On 27 August 1976, he calculated the 73rd root of a 500-digit number in 2 minutes and 43 seconds...
) http://users.lk.net/~stepanov/mnemo/mkleine.html - McCartney, DanielDaniel McCartneyDaniel McCartney was an American who may have had what is now known as hyperthymesia.McCartney was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Daniel was legally blind and lived with his relatives throughout his lifetime. Daniel never married due to his blindness.Daniel was famous for his mental...
- Ruckle, Gottfried
- Safford, Truman HenryTruman Henry SaffordTruman Henry Safford was an American calculating prodigy. In later life he was an observatory director.He was born in Royalton, Vermont, USA on 6 January, 1836. At an early age he attracted public attention by his remarkable calculation powers. At the age of nine, a local priest asked him to...
Mental calculators in fiction
In Frank HerbertFrank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's novel Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
, specially trained mental calculators known as Mentat
Mentat
A Mentat is a profession or discipline in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe. Mentats are humans trained to mimic computers: human minds developed to staggering heights of cognitive and analytical ability.- Overview :...
s have replaced mechanical computers completely. Several important supporting characters in the novel, namely Piter De Vries
Piter De Vries
Piter De Vries is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is featured in 1965's Dune, the original novel in the science fiction series, as well as the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.In David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of the...
and Thufir Hawat
Thufir Hawat
Thufir Hawat is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune, but also appears in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
, are Mentats. Paul Atreides
Paul Atreides
Paul Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Paul is a prominent character in the first two novels in the series, Dune and Dune Messiah , and returns in Children of Dune . The character is brought back as two different gholas in the Brian Herbert/Kevin J...
was originally trained as one without his knowledge. However, these Mentats do not specialize in mathematical calculations, but in total recall of many different kinds of data. For example, Thufir Hawat is able to recite various details of a mining operation, including the number of various pieces of equipment, the people to work them, the profits and costs involved, etc. In the novel he is never depicted as doing actual academic mathematical calculations. Mentats were valued for their capacity as humans to store data, because computers and "thinking machines" are outlawed.
In Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
's novel, "Matilda
Matilda (novel)
Matilda is a children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. It was published in 1988 by Jonathan Cape in London, with illustrations by Quentin Blake. The story is about Matilda Wormwood, an extraordinary child with ordinary and rather unpleasant parents, who are contemptuous of their daughter's...
", the lead character is portrayed having exceptional mathematical skills as she computes her dad's profit without the need for paper computations. During class (she is a first-year elementary school student), she does large-number multiplication problems in her head almost instantly.
Andrew Jackson "Slipstick" Libby is a calculating prodigy in Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's story Methuselah's Children
Methuselah's Children
Methuselah's Children is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in Astounding Science Fiction in the July, August, and September 1941 issues. It was expanded into a full-length novel in 1958....
.
In Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer and translator. His works of fiction and non-fiction have garnered him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including the Franz Kafka Prize and Jerusalem Prize among others.He is considered an important figure in postmodern literature...
's novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
is a 1985 novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. The English translation by Alfred Birnbaum was released in 1991. A strange and dreamlike novel, its chapters alternate between two bizarre narratives — the 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland' and 'The End of the World' parts.-Plot summary:The story is split...
, a class of mental calculators known as Calcutecs perform cryptography
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
in a sealed-off portion of their brains, the results of which they are unable to access from their normal waking consciousness.
In the Fox television show Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
, Malcolm Wilkerson displays astounding feats of automatic mental calculation, which causes him to fear his family will see him as a "freak," and causes his brother to ask, "Is Malcolm a robot?"
In Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
's film, Pi
Pi (film)
Pi, also titled ,WorldCat gives the title as [Pi] and provides a note which states, "Title is the mathematical symbol for Pi." . Amazon gives the title as Pi with no notation concerning the math symbol . is a 1998 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky...
, Maximillian Cohen is asked a few times by a young child with a calculator to do large multiplications and divisions in his head, to which he promptly answers.
In the movie Little Man Tate
Little Man Tate
Little Man Tate is a 1991 motion picture drama directed by and starring Jodie Foster.It tells the story of Fred Tate, a 7-year-old child prodigy who struggles to self-actualize in a social and psychological construct that largely fails to accommodate his intelligence...
, Fred Tate in the audience blurts out the answer during a mental calculation contest.
In the sci-fi thriller Cube
Cube (film)
Cube is a 1997 Canadian science fiction psychological thriller/horror film directed by Vincenzo Natali. The film was a successful product of the Canadian Film Centre's First Feature Project....
, one of the prisoners, Kazan, appears to be mentally disabled but is revealed later in the film to be an autistic savant, who is able to calculate prime factors in his head.
In the 2006 film Stranger than Fiction, the main character, Harold Crick, is able to perform rapid arithmetic at the request of his co-workers.
In another Fox television show Fringe (TV series)
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
the third episode of the third season Olivia and her fellow Fringe Division members encounter an individual with severe cognitive impairment who has been given experimental nootropics and as a result has become a mathematical genius. The individual is able to calculate hundreds of simultaneous equations simultaneously which he uses to manipulate to his advantage to avoid being returned to his original state of cognitive impairment.
Champion Mental Calculators
Every two years the world's best mental calculators are invited to participate in The Mental Calculation World CupMental Calculation World Cup
-Mental Calculation World Cup 2004:The first Mental Calculation World Cup was held in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany on 30 October 2004. There were 17 participants from 10 countries.The World Cup involved the following contests :...
, an international competition that attempts to find the world's best mental calculator, and also the best at specific types of mental calculation, such as multiplication or calendar reckoning. The top three final placings from each of the world cups that have been staged to date are shown below.
First Mental Calculation World Cup (Annaberg-Buchholz, 2004)
| 1 | Robert Fountain Robert Fountain Robert Fountain is a British calculating prodigy. He won the inaugural MSO Mental Calculation World Championship in 1998 and the inaugural Mental Calculation World Cup in 2004. In 1999 he became the first Grandmaster of Mental Calculation.- References :... |
|---|---|
| 2 |  Jan van KoningsveldJan van Koningsveld Jan van Koningsveld is a mental calculator. He is the champion of Extracting Square Roots of 2004 and 2008 as well as the champion of Calendar Calculation of 2008 at the Mental Calculation World Cups... |
| 3 |  Alberto Coto GarcíaAlberto Coto García Alberto Coto García is a mental calculator and was the world champion in mental calculation from 2008 to 2010.... |
Second Mental Calculation World Cup (Gießen, 2006)
| 1 | Robert Fountain Robert Fountain Robert Fountain is a British calculating prodigy. He won the inaugural MSO Mental Calculation World Championship in 1998 and the inaugural Mental Calculation World Cup in 2004. In 1999 he became the first Grandmaster of Mental Calculation.- References :... |
|---|---|
| 2 | Jan van Koningsveld Jan van Koningsveld Jan van Koningsveld is a mental calculator. He is the champion of Extracting Square Roots of 2004 and 2008 as well as the champion of Calendar Calculation of 2008 at the Mental Calculation World Cups... |
| 3 | Gert Mittring Gert Mittring Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education... |
Third Mental Calculation World Cup (Leipzig, 2008)
| 1 | Alberto Coto García Alberto Coto García Alberto Coto García is a mental calculator and was the world champion in mental calculation from 2008 to 2010.... |
|---|---|
| 2 | Jan van Koningsveld Jan van Koningsveld Jan van Koningsveld is a mental calculator. He is the champion of Extracting Square Roots of 2004 and 2008 as well as the champion of Calendar Calculation of 2008 at the Mental Calculation World Cups... |
| 3 |  Jorge Arturo Mendoza HuertasJorge Arturo Mendoza Huertas Jorge Arturo Mendoza Huertas is a Peruvian calculating prodigy. He holds the Guinness World Record for adding up one hundred digits in the fastest time . At the 2006 Mental Calculation World Cup in Giessen, Germany, he finished in first position in the category 'Addition'.- References :... |
Fourth Mental Calculation World Cup (Magdeburg, 2010)
| 1 |  Priyanshi SomaniPriyanshi Somani Priyanshi Somani is a mental calculator. She was the youngest participant of the Mental Calculation World Cup 2010 and won the overall title. She is the only participant who has done 100% accuracy in Addition, Multiplication, Square Root till date in all four Mental Calculation World Cups. Somani... |
|---|---|
| 2 | Marc Jornet |
| 3 | Alberto Coto García Alberto Coto García Alberto Coto García is a mental calculator and was the world champion in mental calculation from 2008 to 2010.... |
The Mind Sports Olympiad has staged an annual world championships since 1997.
MSO mental calculation gold medal winners
| 1997 |  Karl Galle |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Robert Fountain |
| 1999 | George Lane |
| 2000 | Robert Fountain |
| 2001 | John Rickard John Rickard John Hellyar Rickard is a former Chief Economic Advisor to the British Government.- Education :* Ilford County High School* St John's College, Oxford * University of Aston in Birmingham .... |
| 2002 | George Lane |
| 2003 | George Lane |
| 2004 | Gert Mittring Gert Mittring Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education... |
| 2005 | Gert Mittring Gert Mittring Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education... |
| 2006 | Gert Mittring Gert Mittring Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education... |
| 2007 | Gert Mittring Gert Mittring Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education... |
| 2008 | / Gert Mittring Gert Mittring Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education... /George Lane |
| 2009 | Gert Mittring Gert Mittring Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education... |
The Mind Sports Organisation
Mind Sports Organisation
The Mind Sports Organisation is an association for promoting mental-skill games including Contract Bridge, Chess, Go, Mastermind, and Scrabble. Since 1997 it has annually organised in England a multi-sport competition, the Mind Sports Olympiad main event.The MSO was founded in conjunction with...
recognises three International Grandmasters of Mental Calculation: Robert Fountain (1999), George Lane (2001) and Gert Mittring
Gert Mittring
Gert Mittring is a German mental calculator. He won the MSO mental calculation gold medal in every year from 2004 to 2011. In 2004 he held 24 recognized world records for calculation. He has doctorates in psychology and education...
(2005), and one International Master, Andy Robertshaw (2008).
See also
- Child prodigyChild prodigyA child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
- Daniel TammetDaniel TammetDaniel Tammet is a British writer. His best selling 2006 memoir, Born On A Blue Day, about his life with high-functioning autism and savant syndrome, was named a "Best Book for Young Adults" in 2008 by the American Library Association.Tammet's second book, Embracing the Wide Sky, was named one of...
- Human computerHuman computerThe term "computer", in use from the mid 17th century, meant "one who computes": a person performing mathematical calculations, before electronic computers became commercially available....
- Mental Calculation World CupMental Calculation World Cup-Mental Calculation World Cup 2004:The first Mental Calculation World Cup was held in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany on 30 October 2004. There were 17 participants from 10 countries.The World Cup involved the following contests :...
- MentatMentatA Mentat is a profession or discipline in Frank Herbert's fictional Dune universe. Mentats are humans trained to mimic computers: human minds developed to staggering heights of cognitive and analytical ability.- Overview :...
- MnemonistMnemonistThe title mnemonist refers to an individual with the ability to remember and recall unusually long lists of data, such as unfamiliar names, lists of numbers, entries in books, etc. Such individuals have also been described as possessing an eidetic memory, although whether such abilities are innate...
External links
- Mental Calculation World Cup site
- Prodigy Calculators by Viktor Pekelis
- Willem Klein
- Thought and machine processes
- Tricks and techniques
- 13throot.com - Alexis Lemaire website about mental calculation of 13th roots
- The "Great" Mental Calculators
- Lightning Calculators is a three-part essay that discusses these individuals, their methods, and the media coverage of them.