Discover the Fascinating Ancient Russian Multiplication Technique Revealed by a British Math Enthusiast
Explore an intriguing historical method of multiplication, originally used in Russia and traced back to Ancient Egypt, explained by British math presenter Johnny Ball in a captivating Numberphile episode.
Have you ever encountered this unique multiplication technique? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Johnny Ball, a renowned British television host and mathematics advocate, recently unveiled an old Russian multiplication method in a fresh episode of Numberphile. According to him, this fascinating approach was practiced in 19th-century Russia but actually has roots dating back to Ancient Egypt.
The method involves repeatedly halving the first number and doubling the second number step-by-step. Johnny Ball illustrates this with the example of multiplying 9 by 13 (starting at 0:40 in the video).
On the left side, 9 is divided by 2 (ignoring fractions), while on the right side, 13 is multiplied by 2. These results are recorded below the original numbers until the left column reaches 1. This produces two columns: 9, 4, 2, 1 on the left and 13, 26, 52, 104 on the right. Next, rows where the left number is even are eliminated—in this case, 4 and 26, 2 and 52. Finally, the remaining right-side numbers, 13 and 104, are added together, yielding 117, which is the product of 9 and 13.
While this technique may seem intricate for small numbers, it proves highly effective for multiplying two- and three-digit numbers, as Johnny Ball further demonstrates in the video.
Were you familiar with this method? Let us know your experience in the comments!
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