By: Marc Lallanilla, Assistant Editor
Published: 04/26/2013 12:46 PM EDT on LiveScience
Quick: What's the cube root of 61,629,875?
Stumped? Shakuntala Devi, the woman known as the "Human Computer," could tell you, and probably faster than any mathematical computer could.
Devi, who passed away on April 21 at age 83 in her hometown of Bangalore, India, toured the world as a prodigy for much of her life, making appearances on radio, television and in theaters, the New York Times reports.
In a 1977 appearance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Devi found the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in just 50 seconds, besting a slowpoke Univac computer that took 62 seconds to make the same calculation. The root of a number ("X") is equal to another number ("Y") that can be multiplied by itself a given number of times to equal "X." So the 23rd root of "X" equals "Y" multiplied by itself 23 times. [Creative Genius: The World's Greatest Minds]
Devi earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1982 after she correctly multiplied two 13-digit numbers in just 28 seconds before a stunned crowd at Imperial College in London, the Times reports.
(And the cube root of 61,629,875 is 395. What took you so long?)
The early life of Devi, born Nov. 4, 1929, showed little promise. She was raised in an orthodox Brahmin family, the Telegraph reports, but one with a wild streak: Her father refused to follow family tradition by becoming a priest — instead, he entered the circus as a trapeze artist, lion tamer and human cannonball.
Devi received virtually no formal education as a child. "At 10, I was admitted to Class 1 of St. Theresa's Convent in Chamarajpet," she once told the Times of India. "But my parents could not afford the monthly fee of Rs 2 [2 rupees], so in three months, I was thrown out."
While playing cards with his daughter, however, her father noticed Devi's unusual gift for computation and memory, so he launched her career of performing in the circus and in road shows.
"I had become the sole breadwinner of my family, and the responsibility was a huge one for a young child," Devi was quoted as saying. "At the age of 6, I gave my first major show at the University of Mysore [India], and this was the beginning of my marathon of public performances."
When she visited the United States in 1988, educational psychologist Arthur Jensen of the University of California at Berkeley tested her performance in several arithmetic tasks.
"Devi solved most of the problems faster than I was able to copy them in my notebook," Jensen later admitted.
"For a calculating prodigy like Devi, the manipulation of numbers is apparently like a native language, whereas for most of us, arithmetic calculation is at best like the foreign language we learnt at school," Jensen was quoted as saying.
"She was a vibrant lady who was sharp-minded and energetic. A witty person, she was fiercely independent as well," D.C. Shivdev Deshmudre, trustee of the Shakuntala Devi Educational Foundation Public Trust, told the Times of India.
Also a successful astrologer, cookbook author and novelist, Devi is survived by a daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters.
Follow Marc Lallanilla on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ]]>
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.