'Human Computer' Shakuntala Devi Answers Complex Math Problems in Seconds, Old Video Goes Viral

Shakuntala Devi was born in 1929 and she was India’s first woman mathematician. Dubbed “human computer” because of her ability to perform lengthy calculations in her head, she was famous throughout the world for her ability to solve complex mathematical problems in seconds without using a calculator. From a young age, she displayed an exceptional aptitude for numbers. Now, an old video has surfaced on social media and it has people amazed. The video shows Shakuntala Devi solving a mind bending math problem just in minutes.

Also Read: Bengaluru Man Receives Rs 1 Lakh Compensation For His Damaged iPhone 13, Here’s How

The video is from when she multiplied two 13 digit numbers for a universal record. This is when she gained fame. According to the caption, she could mentally multiple 7,686,369,774,870 x 2,465,099,745,779 on 18 June 1980 and gave the correct answer as 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730 within just 28 seconds. “Shakuntala Devi cherished to simplify the magic of arithmetic calculations through her exceptional talent. Her wisdom and gifted personality have inspired millions of students all around the globe,” read the caption.

Here, have a look for yourself:

The video has people scratching their hands as they are truly amazed by the skills of Shakuntala Devi. For those who don’t know, Shakuntala Devi was born in 1929 to Kannadiga parents. She demonstrated her remarkable brain skills at public shows with the help and encouragement of her father, who was a circus performer. Soon her shows picked up craze as people could not believe her immense grip on the huge numbers. This earned her enough money to help contribute to the family. Devi was popular enough in the following years to set out for an Europe tour in 1950.

Also Read: MS Dhoni Flaunts New Look in Ponytail, Fans Say ‘Life Comes Full Circle’

Twenty seven years later, the prodigy competed with a UNIVAC computer to find the 23rd root of a 201-digit number. She completed her calculation in 50 seconds which was 12 seconds faster than the computer.