Improve and expand your math potential&;amp;-whether you're a corporate executive or a high-school student&;amp;-in the company of Professor Arthur T. Benjamin, one of the most entertaining members of The Great Courses faculty. The Secrets of Mental Math, his exciting 12-lecture course, guides you through all the essential skills, tips, and tricks for enhancing your ability to solve a range of mathematical problems right in your head. Along the way, you'll discover how mental mathematics is the gateway to success in understanding and mastering higher fields, including algebra and statistics.
The Secrets of Mental Math
Learn how to do complex mathematical problems right in your head, with the aid of this fun and useful course that teaches you the secrets behind mental math.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
JasperNeonColors from
The Secrets of Mental Math
I bought this course in the DVD format when it was on sale for only $30! This was the best use of my money because I learned so many things. Just to name a few, you can multiply two and even three-digit numbers by 11 in your head, multiply two different two-digit numbers in your head, square two and even three-digit numbers in your head. This is only scratching the surface. You can learn so many more techniques that will help you out.
Date published: 2024-07-17
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Dug33 from
Apt characterization of the subject.
Dr. Benjamin's presentation is clear, easy to follow, and enlivened with appropriate humor. His love for math is infectious.This course deserves a high rating.
Date published: 2022-10-31
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Diane S from
Good strategies to do mental math
I enjoyed listening to the strategies of how to calculate in my head, but the presenter moved around too much for my taste. He walked from one side of the room to another.
Date published: 2022-08-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Amy123 from
What a great course!
I'm a senior citizen and a math phobe--and boy did I get loads out of this course. First of all the fun; second, the logic of it all. I'm now doing pretty substantial math problems in my head, to my own and others' astonishment--and I'm also having a blast teaching my grandkids all the joys of Vedic division, how to easily square numbers and multiply by 11--and how to figure out in your head the day of the week of any date from the 1600s on. It's really been exhilarating. Thank you so much, Dr. Benjamin! This isn't just about parlor tricks; it's about the math behind the magic.
Date published: 2022-04-06
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Raven P from
Wonderful Professor, Wonderful Course!
I loved this professor from another course, so I wanted to see this one as well. I am so glad I did. While I knew most of the material he covered, I still found that I learned a lot. Not to be too cliche, I would watch him even read the phone book; he makes everything he talks about fascinating. He speaks directly to his audience (most of the time straight into the camera) and is amusing as well as informative. You can tell he enjoys his subject and enjoys sharing it!
I suspect my math background is similar to Prof. Benjamin's (although, not being a math professional today, he has much more experience in recent years than I can lay claim to). Most people who watch this course will find (almost) all of the material new and even surprising. He does explain the methods he teaches thoroughly and--usually--simply enough to be understood by the average person, especially a motivated person.
Many people will find that the methods taught will come in handy in daily life.
Date published: 2021-10-21
Rated 5 out of
5
by
CNote from
Amazing Fun
This math course has opened a whole new world for me. After only the first lesson I am multiplying 3 digit numbers in my head, I'm floored. It's a whole new way to think. Professor Arthur Benjamin is very entertaining and he knows unbelievable things.
Date published: 2021-09-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Lucie1A from
Fun math techniques! Cool!
Professor Benjamin teaches fun math techniques in a very easy to follow format. Lots of material to cover and nicely paced. Thank you for a fun course on a topic that might not be fun! It is fun! And his enthusiasm is contagious!
Date published: 2021-08-24
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Derrek from
Top Notch!!
This professor is mesmerizing, he is really a MatheMagician!!!
I highly recommend.
Date published: 2021-08-22
Overview
About
Arthur T. Benjamin is the Smallwood Family Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. He earned a PhD in Mathematical Sciences from Johns Hopkins University. His teaching has been honored by the Mathematical Association of America, and he was named to The Princeton Review’s list of the Best 300 Professors. He has also served as president of the Fibonacci Association. A professional magician, he is the author of the book The Magic of Math, a New York Times bestseller. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs and has been featured in Scientific American and The New York Times.
Trailer
01: Math in Your Head!
Dive right into the joys of mental math. First, learn the fundamental strategies of mental arithmetic (including the value of adding from left to right, unlike what you do on paper). Then, discover how a variety of shortcuts hold the keys to rapidly solving basic multiplication problems and finding squares.
34 min
02: Mental Addition and Subtraction
Professor Benjamin demonstrates how easily you can mentally add and subtract one-, two-, and three-digit numbers. He also shows you shortcuts using the complement of a number (its distance from 100 or 1000) and demonstrates the uses of mental addition and subtraction for quickly counting calories and making change.
32 min
03: Go Forth and Multiply
Delve into the secrets of easy mental multiplication-Professor Benjamin's favorite mathematical operation. Once you've mastered how to quickly multiply any two-digit or three-digit number by a one-digit number, you've mastered the most fundamental operations of mental multiplication and added a vital tool to your mental math tool kit.
31 min
04: Divide and Conquer
Turn now to the last fundamental operation of arithmetic: division. Explore a variety of shortcuts for dividing by one- and two-digit numbers; learn how to convert fractions such as 1/7 and 3/16 into decimals; and discover methods for determining when a large number is divisible by numbers such as 3, 7, and 11.
34 min
05: The Art of Guesstimation
In most real-world situations-such as figuring out sales tax or how much to tip-you don't need an exact answer but just a reasonable approximation. Here, develop skills for effectively estimating addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square roots.
35 min
06: Mental Math and Paper
Sometimes we encounter math problems on paper in our daily lives. Even so, there are some rarely taught techniques to help speed up your calculations and check your answers when you are adding tall columns of numbers, multiplying numbers of any length, and more.
35 min
07: Intermediate Multiplication
Take mental multiplication to an even higher level. Professor Benjamin shows you five methods for accurately multiplying any two-digit numbers. Among these: the squaring method (when both numbers are equal), the "close together" method (when both numbers are near each other), and the subtraction method (when one number ends in 6, 7, 8, or 9).
33 min
08: The Speed of Vedic Division
Vedic mathematics, which has been around for centuries, is extremely helpful for solving division problems-much more efficiently than the methods you learned in school. Learn how Vedic division works for dividing numbers of any length by any two-digit numbers.
35 min
09: Memorizing Numbers
Think that memorizing long numbers sounds impossible? Think again. Investigate a fun-and effective-way to memorize numbers using a phonetic code in which every digit is given a consonant sound. Then practice your knowledge by trying to memorize the first 24 digits of pi, all of your credit card numbers, and more.
33 min
10: Calendar Calculating
The fun continues in this lecture with determining the day of the week of any date in the past or in the future. What day of the week was July 4, 2000? How about February 12, 1809? You'd be surprised at how easy it is for you to grasp the simple mathematics behind this handy skill.
34 min
11: Advanced Multiplication
Professor Benjamin shows you how to do enormous multiplication problems in your head, such as squaring three-digit and four-digit numbers; cubing two-digit numbers, and multiplying two-digit and three-digit numbers. While you may not frequently encounter these large problems, knowing how to mentally solve them cements your knowledge of basic mental math skills.
34 min
12: Masters of Mental Math
Professor Benjamin concludes his exciting course by showing how you can use different methods to solve the same problem; how you can find the cube root of large perfect cubes; how you can use the techniques you've learned and mastered in the last 11 lectures; and more.
32 min
