His brain calculates quicker than the speed of a calculator. He says that breaking the records once held by math experts like Scott Flansburg and Shakuntala Devi is a matter of national pride. He is none other than 21-year-old B.Sc graduate Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash of Hyderabad.
Prakash has emerged as the fastest human calculator in the world after becoming the first Indian to win gold in the Mental Calculation World Championship at the Mind Sports Olympiad held in London. He completed his graduation in Mathematics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi recently, and holds four world records and 50 Limca Book records.
Prakash spoke to The Daily Guardian, telling the story about how he began his journey with the subject. Prakash hails from a middle-class background and his parents run a small food processing and jam business. An accident in his childhood had left him unable to move for a year. During that time, he picked up puzzles and focused on math to keep his brain active, and developed the skills he required to gain worldwide recognition.
Speaking of his skills, he said, “I am not a performer. I am a graduate of St Stephen’s College of Delhi University. I have researched a lot on maths and psychology, and filed a couple of research papers on both subjects. I am not just a math geek, I am also interested in entrepreneurship and international trade. I help the Government of Telangana and other schools in educating children in math.”
Elaborating on his goals, he told The Daily Guardian, “The fear of math is the second biggest cause for dropouts — the first one being economic conditions. About 75 percent of students in India are scared of math due to a lack of understanding of the numbers. I am trying to create awareness among them and my goal is to get 1 crore students to let go of the fear of mathematics.” Prakash also said that Srinivasa Ramanujan and Shakuntala Devi inspired him to create a generation of mathematicians. He has already launched a start-up called “Exploring Infinities” to educate children. He has received some money through crowdfunding so far to support his ambitions.
After his win, Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu tweeted, “Compliments to Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash for winning the ‘world’s fastest human calculator’ title & clinching the first-ever gold for India in the Mental Calculation World Championship at Mind Sports Olympiad held in London recently.”
The Mental Calculation World Championship, or Mind Sports Olympiad, is a multidisciplinary annual competition with numerous mind games which test mental skills. The competition has been held every year since its inauguration in 1997.
Prakash has also received congratulatory calls from the President of India and the PMO. Speaking about the importance of the subject for the nation, he said, “If maths is developed, other fields also get developed. For any country to develop globally, numeracy is as important a skill as literacy.”