Quick Calculations

Foto is from a walk around campus with my new camera...

I did a search for “Quick Calculations” in prepping for a math workshop I am giving on Saturday and came across this book on Amazon… which I promptly bought, called:

Speed Mathematics: Secret Skills for Quick Calculation (Paperback)
by Bill Handley (Author) "How well do you know your basic multiplication tables?..."

He says:

“People who excel at mathematics use better strategies than the rest of us; they are not necessarily more intelligent.

Speed Mathematics teaches simple methods that will enable you to make lightning calculations in your head–including multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction, as well as working with fractions, squaring numbers, and extracting square and cube roots. Here’s just one example of this revolutionary approach to basic mathematics:

96 x 97 =
Subtract each number from 100.

96 x 97 =
4 3

Subtract diagonally. Either 96—3 or 97— 4.
The result is the first part of the answer.

96 x 97 = 93
4 3

Multiply the numbers in the circles. 4 x 3 = 12.
This is the second part of the answer.

96 x 97 = 9312”

very cool!... I sent for the book…