Bangalore Press Release

SDK Speed Math Tutor( Level 3)

Speeding on a Vintage Vehicle - An article published in Deccan Herald on SDK's Speed Math Tutor, by Kamala Balachandran

The Speed Math Tutor employs traditional Vedic Methods to improve the computational skills of students - Kamala Balachandran checks out the CD.

As an extension of the definition of Vedas which means ' a store house of knowledge' they contain in them not only spiritual directives, but also a treasure house of non-spiritual knowledge, which includes a mathematical treatise too. Vedic Maths is the name given to ancient system of Mathematics as written in Vedas.

Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Krishna Tirthaji Maharaj (1884-1960), the former Shankaracharya of the GovardhanaMatt, Puri is considered as the doyen of this discipline. He made the knowledge reachable to the commoner with the publication of the book Vedic Mathematics. The term is now widely used to mean the group of 16 sutras or word formulae detailed in the book along with the application of these to solve problems in different branches of mathematics. the methods used in Vedic maths are direct, much shorter and faster, interrelated, flexible and often much more unified and following than traditional maths.

The translated sutras read thus. ' By one more than one before', 'All from none and the last by ten' etc. Quite apparently one cannot use them as one would use a formula. They need to be presented to the student, through examples.

For those curious to know how the ancient aphorisms work and for students who wish to speed up their computational skills by picking up some of the techniques, help is now at hand. The SDK Technologies of Hyderabad has brought a CD, the Speed Math tutor, using Vedic Methods.

This electronic teacher covers, in multi-levels, the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication, squaring and cubing of numbers. A major bulk of the methodology outlined adheres to the principles of Vedic maths. The tutor offers the users three options: e-Classroom, e-Learning and Practice. The e-Classroom comes with an audio explaining the methods. e -Learning is much faster it comes with various steps appearing on the screen. The methods being quite simple one does not experience any difficulty in following the procedures. In fact, learning becomes so interesting that one tends to disobey the advice given at the start, to learn one skill and master it before moving on to the next! It is hard not to want to see how a harder problem at the next level is to be done or what trick to multiply 967 by 982, mentally.

The tutor aims to develop the student's ability to compute 'in the head'. However when the numbers are larger than three digits, the visualisation and mental work, borders on the impossible. Towards this the 'pencil paper' Vedic Math method of general multiplication, though not mental, is universal in application and very much cuts on working out time.

There is no denying that all those who enjoy numbers will enjoy the CD. It is, however not to be presented to  young children who are at the level of learning basics. the new methods are for those who have fully understood the traditional rules and are mature enough to use new skills appropriately. Even if some of the techniques are mastered, it would make a difference in the calculation speed which, quite often makes all the difference in the competitive exams.  They are boon for 'numerically creative children' who wish to come out of the confinement of 'only correct way'.

If you are wondering why learn speed math when there is a calculator within reach, there is a counter question: why walk or jog when one has a vehicle?

Fast maths is fun and functional.