Interview with Sameer Kamat: Author of ‘Beyond The MBA Hype’
About the Author
Sameer Kamat is the founder of MBA Crystal Ball, an admissions consulting venture. After completing his MBA from the University of Cambridge on a double scholarship, he worked in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions for 5 years before leaving the corporate world to become an entrepreneur. He is also the author of Beyond The MBA Hype published by HarperCollins. This article draws upon the insights covered in the book.
Simplify Multiplication with the Lattice Method
Simplify Multiplication using Lattice Method
Multiplication tables are a pillar of growing up no matter where you are in the world. Spending most of fourth grade learning how to multiply up to 12 x 12 was a fun and exciting time, but I was never a fan of how long it took to multiply larger numbers. I didn’t learned the lattice method until later but as a fan of matrices in calculus, this alternative method of multiplication appealed to me. Here’s how it works:
A Coin Game
Recently, a friend of mine showed me a very interesting game with coins. She asked me to bring three saucers first and she placed them in a line. Then she placed 5 coins of different denominations, one on top of another in the first saucer.
The coins were of the denominations Re 1/-, 50P, 10P, 5P and 25P and she placed the coins in the order of their size—smallest on the top and biggest in the bottom.
She now asked me to transpose these coins to the third saucer observing the conditions that I transpose only one coin at a time, I do not place a bigger on a small one and I use the middle saucer only temporarily observing the first two conditions but that in the end the coins must be in third saucer and in the original order.
‘Oh that’s very simple. This hardly needs much effort’ I said.
I took the 25P coin and put it in the third saucer. Then I kept the 5P coin in the middle saucer. Now I got stuck. I did not know where to put the 10P coin. It was bigger then both!
My friend smiled and said ‘put the 25P coin on top of the 5P coin. Then you can put the 10P coin in the third saucer’.
Memory Tricks for Trigonometry
In the post titled Trigonometry Formula Memorization Trick, I agreed to write about a simple memory trick for memorizing the value of all major angles of different trigonometry ratios like sin30, cos45, tan60, etc. So here you go –
Values of Trigonometric Angles
Let’s start with most commonly used angles of Sin. The angles are 0°, 30° (π/6), 45° (π/4), 60° (π/3), 90° (π/2). For these angles we’ve to make fractions for which we’ve to write 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the numerators and write 4 in the denominator of each fraction.
Quickly Multiply by 21
Rule for multiplying any number by 21
Start from left. Double the first digit and add it to left side neighboring digit. Repeat the steps for subsequent digits. The last number will be same as the last number of the multiplied number.
This rule is very much like the shortcut for multiplying by 11. Since 21 is sum of 11 and 10, it does belong to the same family of short cuts.
Let’s understand the whole concept with an example. Let’s multiply 5392 by 21.
The first digit of the answer will be equal to twice the first digit of 5392. To make the rule consistent assume there is a zero before the number.
Mathematical Symbols Puzzles
We all come across many mathematical or numerical puzzles, which are based on the usage of mathematical symbols or notations. At times such puzzles can even be solved by changing the way things are written.
In this post I am presenting 3 such interesting puzzles. Keen observation and simple application of logic is required to solve them. So here you go -
- Make this equation valid with single stroke of pen (i.e. just by adding a line somewhere): 5+5+5 = 550
- Make 120 using 5 zeros. You can use any mathematical notation/symbol
- What mathematical symbol can be put between 5 and 9, to get a number bigger than 5 and smaller
Leave your answers as comment under this post.
Trigonometry Formula Memorization Trick
I learned this shortcut memory trick from my Maths teacher in school. Recently while interacting with a class X student, I realized they have to mug up all the trigonometric ratios. This can be frustrating and can create a phobia or dislike for an interesting subject like Trigonometry at the very onset.
To use this memory trick, you need to memorize this simple mnemonic -
Some people have curly brown hair turned permanently black
That’s all you need to memorize to register the trigonometrical ratios in your mind forever. So here you go,
Shortcut for Addition of Consecutive Numbers
In this post I’ll share with you a useful shortcut maths trick for “finding out the sum of consecutive numbers”. For example, this trick I am talking about can help you in finding the sum of all the numbers from 23 to 31 or any other set of numbers.
Shortcut Addition Trick
Add the smallest number to the largest number of the given set of consecutive numbers. Then multiply the result by the number of numbers in the set. Finally divide the result by two.
Solving the above example, let’s find: 23+24+25+26+27+28+29+30+31
Star Puzzle
Here is an interesting challenge for you. The below mentioned puzzle may appear simple at first, but the solution may be little complex.
Programmers can do some coding to get the answer. If you do that, post it as a comment below. You can use 'trial and error' or any other method to get the answer. So here you go...
Sum on Each Line should be 26
A six-pointed star is drawn with six lines and twelve vertices. Arrange the integers 1 through 12, one on each vertex, so that the four integers on each line add to 26.
Who is behind QuickerMaths?
I am Vineet Patawari - PGDM (IIM Indore), ACA, B.Com(H). My passion for Mathematics, specially Vedic Maths encouraged me to start QuickerMaths
I believe that if trained properly using powerful tools like Vedic Maths, the immense intellect of human mind can be ignited instantly - find out more
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Recent Comments
watchman was paid for awaking not for sleeping so that he can see dreams.. – 05Feb12
as a night watchman he shouldnt have slept at night to get that dream... – 04Feb12
Can u plz give me clarity in ur solution Kaush sir..... – 04Feb12
thanks for these tricks. Are these from the book "quicker maths by m.tyra" ? – 03Feb12
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