MS.SHAKUNTALA
DEVI
Very
few people around the world achieved what this wonder-woman did. A mathematical
prodigy, also known as the 'human computer', MS.SHAKUNTALA DEVI was known for
her complex problem-solving skills without the aid of any mechanical device.
BIRTH AND FAMILY BACKGROUND
- MS.SHAKUNTALA
DEVI is a calculating prodigy who was born on November 4, 1939 in
Bangalore, India. She was born in a kannada orthodox family.
- Her
father refused to become a priest and instead, wanted to entertain others
as a tight-rope walker. He thus became a circus artist and 3-year-old
MS.SHAKUNTALA used to accompany him to the circus and often come back
mesmerized with her interesting card tricks that initiated her love for
numbers.
CHILD PRODIGY
News
of her ability to solve difficult mathematical problems soon spread like
wildfire. By the age of 6, she had her first major show at the University of
Mysore where she displayed her mathematical prowess by finding out complex
square roots and cube roots within a few seconds. After a few more similar
performances, she found success at Annamalai University at the
age of 8, when she was finally acknowledged as a 'child prodigy’.
ACHIEVEMENT
In
1977, at Southern
Methodist University, she was asked to give the 23rd root of a 201-digit
number; she answered in 50 seconds. Her answer—546,372,891—was confirmed
by calculations done at the U.S. Bureau of Standards by the UNIVAC 1101 computer,
for which a special program had to be written to perform such a large
calculation.
On
June 18, 1980, she demonstrated the multiplication of two 13-digit
numbers—7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779—picked at random by the Computer
Department of Imperial College,
London. She correctly answered 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730 in 28
seconds This event is mentioned in the 1982 Guinness Book of
Records. Writer Steven Smith states that the result is "so far
superior to anything previously reported that it can only be described as
unbelievable". She was popularly
known as human computer.
AWARDS RECEIVED
MS.SHAKUNTALA
DEVI won the 'Distinguished Woman of the Year Award' in 1969, from the
University of Philippines along with a gold medal.
In 1988, she was honored with the 'Ramanujan
Mathematical Genius Award' in Washington D.C., conferred to her by the-then
Indian Ambassador to US.
Her
name was listed in the '1995 Guinness Book of World Records' edition for her
outstanding mathematical feat where she beat the world's fastest computer at
multiplying two thirteen digit numbers.
A
month before her death, she was honored with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award'
in Mumbai, in 2013.
MAJOR WORKS
'Puzzles
to Puzzle You' is considered one of MS.SHAKUNTALA DEVI's best works for
aspiring and budding mathematicians. Critics have rated this book as one of the
best reads for people who want to excel in the field of mathematics and master
the secrets of the subject. A book meant for starters, this publication sold
over 6,000 copies in its first week and continues to be an inspiration for
many.
DEATH OF
HUMAN COMPUTER
In
April 2013, DEVI was admitted to a hospital in Bangalore with
respiratory problems. Over the following two weeks she suffered from
complications of the heart and kidneys. She died in the hospital on April 21,
2013. She was 83 years old. She is survived by her daughter, Anupama
Banerji.
On
November 4, 2013, DEVI was honored with a Google Doodle for
what would have been her 84th birthday.
THE TALENT OF MS.SHAKUNTALA DEVI
This
famous Indian mathematician and 'Child Prodigy' never attended school in her
younger days, but grew up to become one of the greatest mathematicians and
authored a number of books on mathematics.
In
Rome, a calculating machine found one of her answers to be wrong. However,
after re-checking the answer, the solution given by the computer was proven
wrong and hers was established as right!
REFERENCE: SLIDESHARE.COM ( PPT OF PARKAVI ELANGOVAN)