Octillion!
A 7 year old kid told me this. On my return journey from Goa to Bangalore I met this kid and his brother. We struck up a conversation.
I still struggle with names up to a trillion. I would first divide the number of zeros with 3 and then determine the name of the number. The 7 year old boy on the other hand could tell me the name of any number up to 70 zeros promptly!
I tried figuring out how he does that but he couldn’t say. I asked him if he memorized it or if he divides the number of zeros as I do. He didn’t answer. He is shy and speaks very less and doesn’t know what division means.
His parents told me his earlier school had asked them to consult a psychiatrist. I possibly witnessed Asperger Syndrome.
This kid might grow to become the next mathematical genius. He enjoys numbers and watches math videos in YouTube instead of cartoons.
Rubik’s Cube
His elder brother was smart as well. He could solve Rubik’s cube under 15 secs. He taught me to solve it too.
I now understand that there are standard procedures, called “Algorithms”, to solve a Rubik’s cube. He taught me the basic Algorithm. It is slow and solves one piece at a time. But it is easy to remember.
It took me about an hour to learn it and now I can solve the cube. Thanks to this helpful boy my time was spent in learning a fruitful skill.
I was then curious if this is all there is to solving a cube. He told me that the advanced solvers use several 100 algorithms. They can look at a pattern and choose the proper algorithm which can simultaneously solve several positions instead of one at a time like the beginners do.
Nevertheless, I am now content with the method I learned. I am now in need of a Rubik’s cube for myself so that I don’t forget it.
The method he taught me closely matches this method described here in the youtube link.
The version I learned is below
One previous memory
22 years ago, when I was in my 10th standard, I had learnt filling up the magic square from a school security guard. I can’t even recollect his face but what he taught me remains with me.
Similarly, I didn’t get the mobile number or social media handle of these guys. I might never be able to meet them again. But what he taught me would remain with me for years to come.
This post will one day remind me that the boy who taught me to solve Rubik’s cube is called Varadraj and is studying in 11th std in 2025. He is aspiring to be an engineer at an IIT. His younger brother is Vedant.
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