Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Human computer, Shakuntala Devi dead

Math whiz Shakuntala Devi popularly known as human computer passed away at the age of 80.

Ms. Devi held a Guinness World Record for her lightening-speed calculations. Among her distinctions was her ability to, given a date in the last century, mentally ascertain the day.

In 1977, she calculated the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in just 50 seconds. In 1980, she multiplied two 13-digit numbers given to her randomly by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London.

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