Multiplying numbers?

Man of Honour
Joined
11 Mar 2004
Posts
76,678
I know you can do the grid method, but is there any easier way to do it in your head?

I know this is simple stuff, but hey..

and |I know the easy way for 11.
 
If it's x20 then do x10 then x2 and it's easier, stuff like that makes it a lot faster to work stuff out for me.
 
I can do lots of mental arithmetic without much though, including multiplying two or three digit numbers... I don't know how.

One guy calls me Rain Man because I always divide restaurant bills in my head quicker than anyone can do it on a calculator.

Not that any of this bragging helps you in your numerical quest!
 
vonhelmet said:
I can do lots of mental arithmetic without much though, including multiplying two or three digit numbers... I don't know how.

One guy calls me Rain Man because I always divide restaurant bills in my head quicker than anyone can do it on a calculator.

Not that any of this bragging helps you in your numerical quest!

Do you actually do any calculations in your head or does the number just pop up?
 
markyp23 said:
Firstly, you should learn everything up to 12x12 as it will probably stick with you quite easily.

Then Angus/Jokester's method is quite easy.

I still remember having the times tables drilled into me at primary school.
Do they even still teach kids that anymore?
 
Stormrider said:
Do you actually do any calculations in your head or does the number just pop up?

For the simpler ones, I don't do anything consciously.

I'm very good at identifying whether a number is prime or not just by looking at it. That's a pretty weird one. I'm not perfect at it, but often enough that it freaks me out.
 
Stormrider said:
I still remember having the times tables drilled into me at primary school.
Do they even still teach kids that anymore?

I only got taught up to the 10 times table, then the grid method.
 
vonhelmet said:
For the simpler ones, I don't do anything consciously.

I'm very good at identifying whether a number is prime or not just by looking at it. That's a pretty weird one. I'm not perfect at it, but often enough that it freaks me out.

I'm not sure to be jealous of you or just look at you in a strange way :)

AcidHell2 said:
I only got taught up to the 10 times table, then the grid method.

up to 12 times here, but thats such an age ago, plus I hardly use the knowledge anymore, so I doubt I'm that sharp anymore.

anyway, thats what calculators are for
 
I do it i chunks like Jokestar, have no idea what the grid method is. People have on occasion told me what a nerd/geek I am for doing the math rather quick :o
 
manoz said:
have no idea what the grid method is. P

4031_Box_method5_652.JPG


not very easy to do in the head.
 
AcidHell2 said:
4031_Box_method5_652.JPG


not very easy to do in the head.

Hmm, yeah not so inconvenient in the head. I see where the numbers in the square bits come from and you would just add them up but I don't see what the diagonal lines are for?
 
manoz said:
Hmm, yeah not so inconvenient in the head. I see where the numbers in the square bits come from and you would just add them up but I don't see what the diagonal lines are for?

you have to add up in a diagonal. excellent for working out any large number easily, but not nice for mental arithmetic.
 
manoz said:
Hmm, yeah not so inconvenient in the head. I see where the numbers in the square bits come from and you would just add them up but I don't see what the diagonal lines are for?

Diagonals are because you add each diagonal to get the product. :)
 
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