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Speedcalculation
Speedcalculation
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Addendum:
I'm going to try something here. I am going to put all
of the Trachtenberg rules for multiplying by 2, 3, 4,
5... up to 12 in a table. As in the above example
(3852 x 7=26964), we start on the right. The current
digit is called the active digit; I'll call it A. To
the right is the neighbor (if the active digit is on
the right, then the neighbor is 0), which I will call
N. Where it says + N/2, drop the fraction. Handle
carries just as in normal multiplication. Some of the
methods deal with the right digit differently than
other active digits. Most do not. After dealing with
the left digit as an active digit, deal with it as a
last digit. Here is the table:
multiply by right digit (R) other digits (A)
(including last digit) last digit on left (L)
2 x2.
3 10-R. x2. +5 if R is odd. 9-R. x2. +5 if A is odd. +
N/2. L/2. - 2.
4 10-R. +5 if R is odd. 9-R. +5 if A is odd. + N/2.
L/2. - 1.
5 N/2. +5 if A is odd. L/2.
6 A. +5 if A is odd. + N/2. L/2.
7 2A. +5 if A is odd. + N/2. L/2.
8 10-R. x2. 9-R. x2. + N. L-2.
9 10-R. 9-R. + N. L-1.
11 A+N. L.
12 Ax2. + N. L.
Long Addition
The major advantage of this method is that you procede
from left to right. Additionally the checking method
applied is quite different from the addition method
itself, so that mistakes are catched more easily.
Rule:
1. Allign the decimal points.
2. Add the left-most column first
3. Never count higher than 11 (when 11 is reached make
a dot or close a finger in the left hand and reduce
the right digit by one).
4. Add a leading zero to the digit and dot lines in
the answer (so you do not forget to compute the last
dot count.
5. For the final answer, from right to left add each
digit, the dot count below and the dot counts neighbor
(right neighbor).
Example:
9 4 2 1
+ 3 1 1 4
+ 1 3 8 2
Start down the left (9+3 is 12 reduce to 1 and one dot
+ 1 is 2) then second row (4+1+3 is , third (2+1+8
is 11, reduce to 0 and one dot) and (1+4+2 is 7).
Your table will look like this:
9 4 2 1
+.3 1 1 4
+ 1 3.8 2
Digits 0 2 8 0 7
Dots 0 1 0 1 0
Digits 0 2 8 0 7
Dots 0 1 0 1 0
1 3 9 1 7
Checking Addition
For checking we use the cloumn of numbers, Digit and
Dot totals and the answer.
If an error is found only that column needs to be
readded.
Rule:
1. Check the column of numbers (direction does not
matter - here left to right).
a) Add until you get a two-digit number, then add
the two digits together
b) Ignore any 9 digits.
c) Ignore any two touching digits that add up to 9
(Skip them both).
2. Check digits and dots. When you add the dot counts,
count them twice.
3. Check the answer. If problem check digit equals
both Digit/Dot check-digit and the answer check-digit,
the answer is correct.
Example:
9 4 2 1 - skip9,4+2=6,6+1=7 (7)
+.3 1 1 4 - 3+1+1+4=9, ignore (0)
+ 1 3.8 2 - 1+3+8=12 (1+2=3);3+2=5 (5)
Digits 0 2 8 0 7
Dots 0 1 0 1 0
1 3 9 1 7
9 4 2 1
+.3 1 1 4
+ 1 3.8 2
Digits 0 2 8 0 7 - 2+8=10 (1+0=1);1+0+7=8 (
1 3 9 1 7
8+4=12 (1+2)=3; The check digit is 3.
Number Multiplication
1. always place one zero in front of the first
multiplier for each digit of the second multiplier.
2. apply the rule acording to the second multiplier,
working through the digits of the first multiplier
from right to left
The rule will call for doubling or taking half. Taking
half of even numbers presents no problem. Uneven
numbers ("odd" numbers) are divided as: half of 1 is
0, half of 3 is 1, half of 5 is 2, half of 7 is 3,
half of 9 is 4.
For odd numbers the rule will sometimes call for a
special procedure.
Rules:
Multiply by Rule
Examples:
times 12
6452 x 12: (Double, add the neighbor)
006452
x 12
4 (2x2 + no neighbor)
2 (2x5 + 2) carry 1
4 (2x4 + 5 + 1[carry]) carry 1
7 (2x6 + 4 + 1[carry]) carry 1
7 ( 0 + 6 + 1[carry])
0 ( 0 + 0)
77424
6452 x 12 = 77424.
times 6
4958 x 6: (Add half the neighbor plus 5 if number
is odd)
04958
x 6
8 (8 + no neighbor, not odd)
4 (5 + half( + 5) carry 1
7 (9 + half(5) + 5 + 1[carry] carry 1
9 (4 + half(9) + 1[carry])
2 (0 + half(4))
29748
4958 x 6 = 29748.
times 9
4958 x 6: (1. Last digit: subtract from 10
2. Middle digits: subtract from 9
and add the neighbor
3. First digit: (the leading zero)
subtract 1 from the neighbor.)
052457
x 9
3 (10 - 7)
1 ( 9 - 5 + 7) carry 1
1 ( 9 - 4 + 5 + 1[carry]) carry 1
2 ( 9 - 2 + 4 + 1[carry]) carry 1
7 ( 9 - 5 + 2 + 1[carry]) carry 1
4 ( 5 - 1)
472113
52457 x 9 = 472113.
Direct Multiplication
This method is ideal for multipliation with a number
that consists of numbers between 1 and 3. It can be
used on any numbers, but with the second number higher
than 3 speed multiplication should be prefered.
2-digits multiply
1. multiply down right side
2. cross multiply
3. repeat using a pair of digits one to the left.
Examples:
24 x 23:
0024
x 23
2 multiply right4x3) carry 1
5 cross multiply2x3 + 4x2 + 1[carry]) carry 1
5 cross multiply0x3 + 2x2 + 1[carry])
0 cross multiply0x3 + 0x2)
552
24 x 23 = 552.
32344 x 32:
0032344
x 32
8 multiply right4x2)
0 cross multiply4x2 + 4x3) carry 2
0 cross multiply3x2 + 4x3 + 2[carry]) carry
2
5 cross multiply2x2 + 3x3 + 2[carry]) carry
1
3 cross multiply3x2 + 2x3 + 1[carry]) carry
1
0 cross multiply0x2 + 3x3 + 1[carry]) carry
1
1 cross multiply0x2 + 0x3 + 1[carry])
1035008
32344 x 32 = 1035008.
3-digits multiply
1. multiply down right side
2. cross multiply the last two digits
3. cross multiply the last three digits
4. repeat using a triplet of digits one to the left.
Examples:
123 x 321:
000123
x 321
3 multiply right3x1)
8 cross multiply2x1 + 3x2)
4 cross multiply1x1 + 2x2 + 3x3) carry 1
9 cross multiply0x1 + 1x2 + 2x3 +1[carry])
3 cross multiply0x1 + 0x2 + 1x3)
0 cross multiply0x1 + 0x2 + 0x3)
39483
123 x 321 = 39483.
n-digits multiply
1. multiply down right side
2. cross multiply the last two digits
3. cross multiply the last three digits
4. cross multiply the last four digits.
(...)
n-1. cross multiply the last n-1 digits.
n. cross multiply the last n digits.
n+1. repeat using a "n-plet" of digits one to the
left.
checking
add the digits making up each multiplier and the
answer using following rules:
1. when the sum goes over 9 reduce the two digits
2. ignore any 9
3. ignore any two digits touching each other that
add up to 9
The digit sum of the multiplied numbers should equal
the digit sum of the answer
Example:
427691 x 918 = 392620338.
for 427691 figure:
4 + (2 touching 7 is 9, ignore) + 6 is 10 reduce to 1
+ (ignore 9) +1 is 2
for 918 figure:
(ignore 9) + (1 + 8 skip to 0) is 0
for 392620338 figure:
3+ (ignore 9) + 2 is 5 + 6 is 11 reduce to 2 + 2 is 4
+ 0 is 4 + 3 is 7 + 3 is 10 reduce to 1 +8 is 9 reduce
to 0
2 x 0 = 0.
Speed Multiplication
This method is ideal for multipliation of large
numbers. In this method all numbers are considered
two-digit numbers with a left-hand �tens� and a
right-hand �units� digit.
When multiplying the right hand digit we are anly
concerned with the units digit of the answer. With the
right hands digit we are anly concerned with the tens
digit of the answer.
Pair Product
To get the pair product of 47 x 4 procede as following
U T U T
4 7 4 7
x 4 x 4
16 28 6 2
^ ^
add 6 and 2 to get the pair product 8
The Pair Product needs to be well practiced to allow
you to write down the finished answer with no
intermediatre computation.
The big difference between the Speed Multiply and
Direct Multiply method is that with Speed Multiply the
highest number to carry from one pair product to the
other is a 1 or 2. This is why problems can be solved
mentally.
Single-digit multiplication
1. add the �units� of the left hand number and the
�tens� of the right hand number (Pair Product)
2. each number is one digit to the answer of the
problem
Example:
4386 x 6:
04386
x 6
.
6 6x6 = 36
. .
1 8x6 = 48 and 6x6 = 36 3+8=1 carry 1
. .
3 3x6 = 18 and 8x6 = 48 8+4+1(c)=3 carry 1
. .
6 4x6 = 24 and 3x6 = 18 4+1+1(c)=6
. .
2 0x6 = 00 and 4x6 = 24 0+2=2
26316
4386 x 6 = 26316
Double-digit multiplication
Here we need to work with two numbers at a time. For
convenience mark the digits using your fingers. Here
these numbers will be market with dots ( .. ).
1. the left-hand working number is where the next
answer will be written.
2. the left-hand is also where you start multiplying
with the lower right hand number.
3. cross multiply the lower two numbers with the
current pair ( .. ).
a) multiply the lower-right number first
b) all we care about is the sum of the left-hand
�units� and the right-hand �tens�.
To go smoothly, it is essential to practice
Pair-Products.
Rule:
Cross multiply each bottom number twice. Once with the
crossed number, and once with the neighbor (right
neighbor).
Example:
84 x 62:
0084
x 62
..
0084
x 62
.
8 (2x4 = 0 + (2x(no neighbor))= 8
no numbers for 6 to work with
..
0084
x 62
. .
0 (2x8 = 16) + (2x4 = 0= 6
.
6x4 = 24 + 6x (no neighbor)= 4; 4+6=0 carry 1
..
0084
x 62
. .
2 (2x0 = 00) + (2x8 = 16)= 1
. .
(6x8 = 4 + (6x4 = 24)= 10; 10+1+1(c)=2 carry
1
..
0084
x 62
5208
84 x 62 = 5208
Introduction
Trachtenberg division only requires addition and
subtraction. Unfortunately you need to write down a
lot of notes.
38,682,547 : 53
1. Write 1-10 in the left column
2. Next to the one write 53. Add 5 and 3 to get a
check digit. Write 8 in the check column.
3. Fill in the check column by adding 8 to itself in
each row. As before cancel out all 9s.
4. Fill in the divisor column by adding the divisor to
itself for each row. Veryfy each check digit with the
one written in the check column.
5. Write down the dividend in its column.
6. Make an empty column for the answer.
Checking
All that needs to be checked is the subtrations used
to get the remainder.
Rule:
Example:
Dividend 38682547
Remainder -20
38682527 (digit sum is 5)
Answer 729859 (digit sum is 4)
Divisor 53 (digit sum is
4x8= 32 (digit sum is 5)
Square 2-digit
Rule:
342
6 42 is 16; write 6, carry 1
5 3x4x2 is 24, +1(carry)is 25; write 5,
carry 2
11 32 is 9, +2(carry)is 11
1156
342 = 1156
Example:
98
x 99
100 - 98 = 2 picture 98 2
100 - 99 = 1 picture 99 1
97 98 - 1 (upper left - lower right)
02 2 x 1 (multiply two right numbers)
9702
98 x 99 = 9702
Example:
104
x106
104 -100 = 4 picture 104 4
106 -100 = 6 picture 106 6
110 98 - 1 (upper left + lower right)
24 4 x 6 (multiply two right numbers)
11024
Example:
962
100 - 96 is 4
92 96 - 4 is 92
16 4 squared is 16
9216
962 = 9216
Example:
1062
106 - 100 is 6
112 106 + 6 is 112
36 6 squared is 36
11236
1062 = 11236
Example:
852
72 first digit x one larger (8x9)
25 always 25
7225
852 = 7225
Example:
562
31 25 + last digit (25+6)
36 sqare of last digit (62)
3136
562 = 3136