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We have used bases, mostly powers of ten, in our earlier ”specials” – in getting the ten’s complements and in completing the whole. Here we will show how with the use of bases, we can mentally solve lengthy calculations.   The…

Yesterday we discussed direct proportion, that is when a quantity increases by a certain percentage the other quantity increases by the same percentage. It is y is said to be directly proportional to x if y/x = k where k…

Elementary school students are trained to always reduce fractions to lowest terms by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their lowest common factor. In division having a divisor with decimal parts, the learners are taught to convert the divisor…

Yesterday, we showed that “completing the whole” can greatly simplify addition. Today we will apply this technique in subtraction – specifically in computing the elapsed time. Like computations using feet and inches, calculations involving time are more difficult for young…

Our example for today involves adding lengths expressed in feet and inches. This type of computation is avoided by young learners, but it provides a good illustration of our technique of “completing the whole” which is based of the Vedic…

The Vertically and Crosswise sutra is the basis of the general multiplication method in Vedic Mathematics whether using numbers or polynomials. It is also used in division, squaring, and extracting square roots and computations involving fractions and mixed numbers. It…

A very creative Vedic Math device is the bar (or vinculum) number. It uses a vinculum or bar over a digit to indicate that it is negative. In this way, large digits can be replaced by their smaller complements leading…

Number splitting or number decomposition involves partitioning a number into two or more components. Many arithmetic calculations can be simplified by number splitting but it also has applications in higher math. The division 653,978 ÷ 13, for example can be…

The second Vedic Math sutra or word formula is “All from 9 and the Last from 10” or Nikhilam Navatashcaraman Dasatah”. It is used for rapidly determining the “ten’s complement” of a number or how far it is from the…