The student who broke the record of Shakuntala Devi

Learning mathematics is a nightmare for most students - even I felt the same as a schoolgoing child. Here's someone who has brilliantly surpassed the human computer Shakuntala Devi to emerge the fastest human calculator in the world - Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash, student of Mathematics at St.Stephen's College, Delhi University.

20-year-old Bhanu Prakash became the fastest human calculator in the world after clinching gold for India in the Mental Calculation World Championship at the Mind Sports Olympiad, considered the most prestigious international competition for mental skills and mind sports. This is the very first time India won gold at MSO, which was held virtually on August 15, 2020, among 30 participants from across 13 countries of the world.

Bhanu Prakash holds around 50 Limca records for his fastest ever mathematical calculations. He says that his brain is capable of calculating faster than does a calculator. These records were earlier held by math wizards Shakuntala Devi and Scott Flansburg.

The young math wizard envisages to create "Vision Math Labs" to improve the numeracy, eradicate math phobia and increase the popularity of brain training among Indian students, which, he feels would encourage them to fearlessly pursue mathematics as both a subject and a mind sport.

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations or algorithms: it is about understanding. It's also for dividing sorrow, subtracting sadness, adding happiness and multiplying love and forgiveness.