Russian version Mnemonic - Articles
"Literary newspaper". 19 july 1978 г.
THREE, SEVEN, FOUR
Alexander BORODIN

Is our future prepare "brain hypodinamy", and together with that - necessary to invent new sportses specially for the head, to insure this nice part of the body from premature flabbiness and sclerosis?
I did not become to move on this standard fantastic way, if not one letter in the editing "Literary newspaper". Fast and little sized lines were penetrate by notes of sincere bitterness, caused, oddly to say, exactly intellectly pressure electronic-computing machinery. But has feel this pressure a person, find in itself most rare, but, on its opinion, nobody today necessary ability to the superquick mental calculating.
Amongst four billions of people inhabit our Land, probably, only several tens possess a skill to manipulate in the brain by multi-digit numbers with the speed of modern PC. "Nor one possibilities of our brain does seem such amazing, as a riddle a prodigy-calculators", - notes one of the popularizator this phenomenon - a writer Victor Pecelis. But such unique gift of nature his owner - an engineer J. Z. Prikhodko from Dimitrovgrad - values as burden!
Almost to thirty Prikhodko did not suspect that his skill to calculate in the brain is unique. But, nor in the school, nor in Dnepropetrovsk's engineering-building institute, where pass his student years, he never used at calculations by record or slide rule. Moreover, his friends usially use him, and time to time asking: "How much will?.." However all of this usially amused Prikhodko, not burdenned.
And ten years ago Josef Zinovievich is accidentally looks an article in the journal "Science and Life" about the actor-mathematician R. S. Arrago. And, all what Arrago caused a boundless amazing a public, Jozef Zinovievich easy repeat with lightness without any preliminary trainings. "Probably, not many who managed so amazed themself", - recalls Prikhodko.
Together with the unexpected opening come doubts. Josef Zinovievich decide made some public show in schools and nearest pedagogical institute, and two years after, being journey in Moscow, has make on his initiative a competition with computer in the computing pavilion of VDNH (Exebition of Acheivements National Economy) USSR. On this fact have appear marks in number of central newspapers.
- On this, - speaks Josef Zinovievich, - all is finish. Phenomenon interest of nobody. After I much speculated on that, what practical profit can bring my ability to calculate in the brain, but invent nothing normal. If I live fifty years ago, my help is render useful under complex engineering or, for instance, bank calculations, but now with this beautifully manage machines. Change profession of engineer-builder on the worrisome life of actor, let even actor of such original genre, I do not want. It is too serious step, to dare on it in fourty years of age, and I have no scenic vocation.
- Josef Zinovievich, show, how you calculate, - ask I and has get from the briefcase electronic accounting calculator.
We begin with "easie" - multiply two four-digit numbers. Prikhodko, not conceiving, write on the paper answers, I pressed thereupon key with the sign "=", and on the indicator flashed up green numbers. All coincided. We move to five-digits, then six-digits multipliers - a result was same. On this possibility of calculator run short, because answers simply ceased fit in twelve-digits indicator. Then have proceed with the extraction a roots - square, cubic, seventh degrees, twelfth... We did this so: I asked Josef Zinovievich will be unscrew and multiple by calculator some number itself several times, and after showed him a result. On the inverse operation Prikhodko use several seconds. Mistakes he did not do.
Come time of last, the most serious test. Before the business trip I was in the Computing center of Academy of sciences USSR and has ask to raise arbitrarily chosen two-digit number in very greater power. For this target most approached a computer "Mir-2". Main engineer of Computing Center Irina Anatolyevna Lazareva typed on the keyboard a program and has say: "You can count time". Six minutes after computer move out from their own nonothers long punch tape, "head" which then move insert in number-typed feature. That made sound like gun-machine, skipping through itself metres of punch tape, and as a result of I has get a common sheet of paper with twenty-one lines of numbers. And this sheet I has deliver Prikhodko.
Two minutes Josef Zinovievich study this number-monster. Simultaneously I introduce him my plan: when acquaintanceship with number-monster will end, I give to him number of root what exactly degrees is necessary extract, and begin count a time.
- I am ready, - tell Prikhodko.
Looks through second arrow of my watch, I has get from the pocket and show to Prikhodko paper with four digits - "1137". Josef Zinovievich took a look at it, knit his brows, move by lips and in nine seconds tell:
- Thirteen!
Answer was correct.
After we told about different things: weather, fishing ("Not one weekend missed", - has say Prikhodko), staduing of ten years son ("Best student!"). During this time Igor was lead by my calculator. He do not stop play with this mirical of accounting technology even during our chess game, what does not prevent him, however, without problems won against guest.
- By the way, looks like Igor has inherit my love for numbers, - say Josef Zinovievich. - Write some forty-digit number.
I has write in one line five telephone numbers of my friends and my post-code.
- Sonny, go in that room and learn this. Igor unwillingly has postpone a calculator aside and, having withdrew my record goes out. Two minutes after he faultless repeat all numbers.
- And now backward, - ask father.
Igor made same but backward.
What specialists think about this? After talks with mathematicians I get impression, that "human-computer" does not present for them particular interest. "But what about all methods, simplify mental calculations, on which told me Prikhodko?" - asked I. I explained that this area is already explored by specialists and present yesterday of mathematic. Particularly, was mention system of quick calculations, developing Zurich's professor mathematicians J. Trahtenberg. About practical using a people-calculators, here - and my collocutors divorced hands - possible invent nothing. Computers do not tired and practically do not mistaken, can work round day, but if their needed to check, this possible quickly do by other machines. So alas...
Psychologists have show little more interests. "Prodigy, like Prikhodko, demonstrate us enormous reserves, which hides inside human brain", - has say an academician APN USSR Anatoly Aleksandrovich Smirnov, long time researching problem of memory and remembering during educating and practical activity. (Abilities Prikhodko certainly, are base on particular characteristics of his memory.) In this area already made a lot by psychologists, biophysicists, biochemists, physiologists. Known, what breaking a memory and thinkings cause a striking one or another brain areas. Memory research are made on the molecular level already. But what conclude organic differences of brain of common person from the brain of same calculators - steel unknown. To be short, scientific side of this question looks like the card just now open mainland: sidebars are mark, but middle - a white spot".
I call main director Russian Concerts Vladislav Stepanovich Khodykin. "We have actors, emerge with the demonstration of different mathematical stunts, - he say. - This is varieties so called original genre. However show unusual needs serious producers preparation. Beside, actor art has own requirements, which not always can combine with unique natural deposits". Against these words nothing can be objection.
So, bitterness in the Prikhodko's letter - not farfetched pose, they are caused though rare, but really contradiction. But why is accepted such a one-side to value a phenomenon superquick mental calculating? May be in our computer century it can be useful not as only original music-hall trick?
Ability to manipulate in the brain by big numbers, as well known, from baby years was inherent some great scientific - Ampere, Gauss, Euler. Difficult, of course, judge, what role played this quality in their scientific art. However we can expect that in combination with other qualities a skill to produce mental operation with the big amount of information can promote a discovery of unknown earlier regularities and intercoupling a material world. May be we should study this problem much seriously?
I think about Igor: if teachers can development his abilities and simultaneously vaccinated interest in some perspective area of expertise, than who know, may be he get bright fate in the science?
...When I already finished this article, come a letter from Dimitrovgrad. "After your departure, - write Josef Zinovievich, Igor become nag to me with asking how I calculate. I has introduce him with some acceptance, in particular with the principle of logarithms. And now he already can in some of minutes in the brain extract roots from big numbers. What to do? What the future?" Really, what to do?
I run dictaphone and hear high boy's voice:
- Three, seven, four..."

Here only part of number-monster from what J. Prikhodko extract root of 1137 power.