Second grader devises trick to create multiplication tables

While children his age are still trying to learn the nuances of the basic additions and subtractions, Pranit Mathur can create multiplication tables of double digit numbers in a jiffy.

All of seven, the second grader at St Paul’s Senior Secondary School in Udaipur has surprised, and in a pleasant way, his family and teachers. So much so, that he now even helps his elder brother, 11-years-old Garvit, in solving mathematics questions.

So how did he learn to do the complex multiplication?

“One day my Maths teacher was teaching us how to create the multiplication table for 11. I learnt the trick behind it. Then I developed my own method and by the time my teacher finished with the table of 11, I had started creating the table for 16,” says Pranit.

That Pranit has a penchant for numbers came to fore when his father, Vikas Mathur, an engineer by profession, saw him creating multiplication tables for numbers that are usually taught in higher classes.

“Pranit and Garvit were studying together when I noticed the younger one helping his elder brother in solving mathematics questions. I also saw him creating multiplication tables. I asked Pranit and he said he has developed his own way of creating multiplication tables,” says Vikas.

Pranit’s mother Rini Mathur too was astonished. A PhD, she said she had never come across the trick developed by her son.

The stunned father discussed it with other family members and also trawled the Internet to look if a similar trick was being used by anyone else. When the Internet failed to yield any result, he decided to inform Fr George VJ, the principal of Pranit’s school.

The principal, in turn, asked the mathematics teacher at the school, Ajay Gupta, to verify Pranit’s claim. They put Pranit to test and on finding his method innovative and correct, the principal arranged for it to be demonstrated during the school assembly.

“Children you all are genius. If your genius doesn’t reflect in your grades or marks, it is hidden in something else. Find it,” an impressed Fr George told the assembly.

The school is now approaching NCERT and CBSE to further verify Pranit’s discovery.