Shakuntala Devi is an Indian writer and mathematical genius. He is known as the “Human Computer” for doing complex mathematical calculations in his head and easily voicing the results. His extraordinary abilities earned him a place in the “Guinness Book of World Records.”
Wiki/Biography
Shakuntala Devi was born on Monday, 4 November 1929 (age 83 years; at time of death in 2013) in Bengaluru. His zodiac sign is Scorpio. He was unable to receive formal education due to his poor family situation.
At age 3, Shakuntala began to exhibit some advanced skills in numbers, and by the time she reached age 5, she could calculate cube roots. His father noticed his ability to memorize numbers and took him on tours and tours and exhibited his ability to count. Soon, he got a lot of attention and started making money with his talent. Shakuntala, then, visited various universities in southern India. When he was six years old, he showcased his skills at the University of Mysore. Further, he showed his skills in Annamalai University, Osmania University, and universities of Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. In 1944, he gained international recognition and moved to London with his father.
Death
Shakuntala died on 21 April 2013 (age 83 years; at time of death) due to respiratory, heart and kidney problems.
Physical appearance
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family, Caste & Husband
Shakuntala Devi belonged to an orthodox Kannada Brahmin Family. His father was a circus performer. Not much is known about his mother and siblings. Shakuntala was married to Paritosh Banerjee, an Indian Administrative Service officer from Kolkata, in 1960. They divorced in 1979. The couple had one daughter, Anupama Banerjee.
Shakuntala Devi and Anupama Banerjee
Career
In 1944, Shakuntala became an international name and traveled to several countries including the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, Sri Lanka, Italy, Canada, Russia, France, Spain, Mauritius, Indonesia, and Malaysia showing her expertise in the field of mathematics. Shakuntala is best remembered for calculating the multiplication of two randomly chosen 13-digit numbers—7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779. He answered it correctly in 28 seconds. His arithmetic talent marked him a place in the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ in 1982.
Shakuntala Devi in her youth
Shakuntala has mastered her mathematical talents so much that when she was asked to calculate the 23rd root of a 201-digit number at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, USA, she completed it in 50 seconds, whereas, it took four minutes for a professor to write the problem and more than a minute for the Univac computer to complete.
Shakuntala Devi solves math problems
He is also a successful astrologer and has written many books on the subject. He has also written numerous texts about mathematics for children, puzzles, cookbooks, and novels. In 1977, he wrote ‘The World of Homosexuals,’ which is one of his most important books. It is the first comprehensive study of homosexuality in India.
Shakuntala Devi’s book on Homosexuality
Shakuntala is also an active philanthropist. He started the Shakuntala Devi Education Foundation Public Trust to provide good education to underprivileged children. He has also worked to spread global awareness of India’s contribution to Mathematics.
Shakuntala Devi Trust
Awards & Honors
- Distinguished Woman of the Year by the University of the Philippines (1969)
- Ramanujan Mathematical Genius Award in Washington DC (1988)
- Awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award a month before his death (2013)
Facts/Trivia
- His father became a circus performer, excelling in trapeze, tightrope, lion taming, and human cannon stunts that went against the priestly tradition of their family.
- On 4 November 2013, Shakuntala was honored with a Google Doodle for her achievement on her 84th birthday.
Shakuntala Devi Google Doodle
- Arthur Jensen, a psychology professor from the University of California, Berkeley, conducted an in-depth study of his abilities. He has published his findings in an academic journal titled “Intelligence.”
- Shakuntala claims to have joined a convent school when she was 10 years old but was expelled within 3 months of her admission because her parents could not afford the fees.
- Shakuntala appeared on a BBC show where the host, Leslie Mitchell, asked her to solve a complex mathematical problem. He solved the problem in seconds but the host claimed the answer was incorrect because it was different from what the host and the rest of his team had calculated. However, later, it was realized that Devi’s answer was correct and the answer calculated by the host and his team was wrong. The news spread around the world and he was given the title “Human Computer.”
- Actress Vidya Balan has played the role of Shakuntala Devi in her biopic which is slated to release in 2020.
Vidya Balan to play Shakuntala Devi in the film
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
