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Complete Speed Math Guide

The document is a comprehensive guide to speed mathematics, focusing on calculation techniques for competitive exams. It covers essential skills, shortcuts for arithmetic operations, and methods for squaring, multiplication, division, percentage calculations, and roots. Additionally, it includes practice exercises to reinforce the concepts presented.

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mmore2743
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81 views17 pages

Complete Speed Math Guide

The document is a comprehensive guide to speed mathematics, focusing on calculation techniques for competitive exams. It covers essential skills, shortcuts for arithmetic operations, and methods for squaring, multiplication, division, percentage calculations, and roots. Additionally, it includes practice exercises to reinforce the concepts presented.

Uploaded by

mmore2743
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

COMPLETE GUIDE TO

SPEED MATHEMATICS
Master Calculation Techniques for Competitive Exams

Tricks • Shortcuts • Mental Math • Fast Calculation Methods


TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Foundation Skills: What You Must Memorize
2. Fraction to Percentage Conversions
3. Squaring Techniques
4. Multiplication Shortcuts
5. Division Tricks
6. Percentage Calculations
7. Square Root Methods
8. Cube and Cube Root Tricks
9. Algebraic Simplification Techniques
10. Practice Exercises
1. FOUNDATION SKILLS: WHAT YOU MUST
MEMORIZE
Before diving into tricks, you MUST have these fundamentals memorized. These are
non-negotiable:

1.1 Multiplication Tables


• Tables from 1 to 30 (minimum up to 20)
• Special focus on 11 to 20 as these appear frequently

1.2 Squares
• Squares from 1 to 50 (1² = 1, 2² = 4, ..., 50² = 2500)
• Essential for quick percentage and area calculations

1.3 Cubes
• Cubes from 1 to 20 (1³ = 1, 2³ = 8, ..., 20³ = 8000)

1.4 Powers of 2
• 2¹ to 2¹⁰: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024

1.5 Key Percentage-Fraction Equivalents


• 5% = 1/20, 10% = 1/10, 12.5% = 1/8, 16.67% = 1/6
• 20% = 1/5, 25% = 1/4, 33.33% = 1/3, 50% = 1/2

1.6 Important Circle Values


• For radius r = 7: Circumference = 44, Area = 154
• For radius r = 14: Circumference = 88, Area = 616
• For radius r = 21: Circumference = 132, Area = 1386
2. FRACTION TO PERCENTAGE CONVERSIONS
Memorize these common conversions for instant calculation:

Fraction Percentage Fraction Percentage Fraction Percentage

1/1 100% 1/7 14.28% 1/13 7.69%

1/2 50% 1/8 12.5% 1/14 7.14%

1/3 33.33% 1/9 11.11% 1/15 6.67%

1/4 25% 1/10 10% 1/20 5%

1/5 20% 1/11 9.09% 1/25 4%

1/6 16.67% 1/12 8.33% 1/40 2.5%

Pro Tips:
• 1/7 = 14.28% (remember 14 2/7%)
• 1/8 = 12.5% (half of 25%)
• 1/9 = 11.11% (repeating 1s)
3. SQUARING TECHNIQUES
3.1 Numbers Ending in 5
Formula: (x5)² = x(x + 1)/25
Examples:
• 25² = 2 × 3 / 25 = 6/25 = 625
• 35² = 3 × 4 / 25 = 12/25 = 1225
• 65² = 6 × 7 / 25 = 42/25 = 4225
• 85² = 8 × 9 / 25 = 72/25 = 7225
• 125² = 12 × 13 / 25 = 156/25 = 15625

3.2 Numbers Near 50 (31-70)


Base = 50, Let N = 50 ± x, Then N² = (25 ± x)/x²
Examples:
• 42² = (25 - 8)/8² = (25 - 8)/64 = 17/64 = 1764
• 57² = (25 + 7)/7² = (25 + 7)/49 = 32/49 = 3249
• 38² = (25 - 12)/12² = (25 - 12)/144 = 13/144 = 1444
• 67² = (25 + 17)/17² = (25 + 17)/289 = 42/289 = 4489

3.3 Numbers Near 100 (71-130)


Base = 100, Let N = 100 - x, Then N² = (N - x)/x²
Examples:
• 94² = (94 - 6)/6² = (94 - 6)/36 = 88/36 = 8836
• 97² = (97 - 3)/3² = (97 - 3)/9 = 94/09 = 9409
• 89² = (89 - 11)/11² = (89 - 11)/121 = 78/121 = 7921
• 103² = (103 + 3)/3² = (103 + 3)/09 = 106/09 = 10609

3.4 General Squaring Formula


(a + b)² = a² + 2ab + b²
(a - b)² = a² - 2ab + b²
Examples:
• 23² = (20 + 3)² = 400 + 120 + 9 = 529
• 48² = (50 - 2)² = 2500 - 200 + 4 = 2304
• 107² = (100 + 7)² = 10000 + 1400 + 49 = 11449
3.5 Duplex Method (Vedic Math)
For 2-digit numbers AB:
11. Left part: A²
12. Middle part: 2 × A × B
13. Right part: B²
Example: 34²
• Left: 3² = 9
• Middle: 2 × 3 × 4 = 24
• Right: 4² = 16
• Result: 9 | 24 | 16 = 9 | (24+1) | 6 = 11 | 5 | 6 = 1156
4. MULTIPLICATION SHORTCUTS
4.1 Multiplying by 5
Method: Divide by 2 and add a zero (or multiply by 10 and divide by 2)
• 46 × 5 = 460 ÷ 2 = 230
• 128 × 5 = 1280 ÷ 2 = 640

4.2 Multiplying by 9
Method: Multiply by 10 and subtract the original number
• 36 × 9 = 360 - 36 = 324
• 78 × 9 = 780 - 78 = 702

4.3 Multiplying by 11
For 2-digit numbers AB: Put A and B on ends, sum in middle
• 34 × 11 = 3_(3+4)_4 = 374
• 67 × 11 = 6_(6+7)_7 = 6_13_7 = 737 (carry the 1)
• 82 × 11 = 8_(8+2)_2 = 8_10_2 = 902

4.4 Multiplying by 15
Method: Multiply by 10, add half of that result
• 24 × 15 = 240 + 120 = 360
• 36 × 15 = 360 + 180 = 540

4.5 Multiplying by 25
Method: Divide by 4 and multiply by 100 (or multiply by 100 and divide by 4)
• 16 × 25 = 16 ÷ 4 × 100 = 4 × 100 = 400
• 84 × 25 = 84 ÷ 4 × 100 = 21 × 100 = 2100
• 46 × 25 = 4600 ÷ 4 = 1150

4.6 Multiplying Numbers Close to 100


Formula: (100-a) × (100-b) = (100-a-b) | (a×b)
• 97 × 96 = (100-3-4) | (3×4) = 93 | 12 = 9312
• 98 × 94 = (100-2-6) | (2×6) = 92 | 12 = 9212
• 89 × 88 = (100-11-12) | (11×12) = 77 | 132 = 78 | 32 = 7832
4.7 Cross Multiplication (Vedic)
For AB × CD:
• Vertical: A×C for left part
• Cross: (A×D + B×C) for middle
• Vertical: B×D for right part
Example: 23 × 14
• Left: 2 × 1 = 2
• Middle: (2×4) + (3×1) = 8 + 3 = 11
• Right: 3 × 4 = 12
• Result: 2 | 11 | 12 = 2 | (11+1) | 2 = 3 | 2 | 2 = 322
5. DIVISION TRICKS
5.1 Dividing by 5
Method: Multiply by 2 and divide by 10
• 235 ÷ 5 = (235 × 2) ÷ 10 = 470 ÷ 10 = 47
• 145 ÷ 5 = (145 × 2) ÷ 10 = 290 ÷ 10 = 29

5.2 Dividing by 9
Method: Sum of digits should equal original sum. Build answer digit by digit.
Example: 162 ÷ 9
• Sum of digits: 1+6+2 = 9 (divisible by 9)
• First digit: 16 ÷ 9 = 1, remainder 7
• 72 ÷ 9 = 8
• Answer: 18

5.3 Dividing by 25
Method: Multiply by 4 and divide by 100
• 650 ÷ 25 = (650 × 4) ÷ 100 = 2600 ÷ 100 = 26
• 1850 ÷ 25 = (1850 × 4) ÷ 100 = 7400 ÷ 100 = 74

5.4 Dividing by 125


Method: Multiply by 8 and divide by 1000
• 875 ÷ 125 = (875 × 8) ÷ 1000 = 7000 ÷ 1000 = 7
• 2375 ÷ 125 = (2375 × 8) ÷ 1000 = 19000 ÷ 1000 = 19

5.5 Remainder Tricks


Divisibility Rules:
• By 2: Last digit is even
• By 3: Sum of digits divisible by 3
• By 4: Last 2 digits divisible by 4
• By 5: Last digit is 0 or 5
• By 6: Divisible by both 2 and 3
• By 8: Last 3 digits divisible by 8
• By 9: Sum of digits divisible by 9
• By 11: Alternating sum of digits divisible by 11
6. PERCENTAGE CALCULATIONS
6.1 Quick Percentage Tricks
• 1% = divide by 100
• 10% = divide by 10
• 5% = 10% ÷ 2
• 20% = 10% × 2
• 25% = divide by 4
• 50% = divide by 2
• 75% = 50% + 25%

6.2 Percentage Increase/Decrease


Formula: New Value = Original × (100 ± change%)/100
Example: Increase 80 by 25%
• 80 × 125/100 = 80 × 1.25 = 100
Example: Decrease 120 by 15%
• 120 × 85/100 = 120 × 0.85 = 102

6.3 Finding What Percent


Formula: (Part/Whole) × 100
Example: 45 is what % of 180?
• (45/180) × 100 = 0.25 × 100 = 25%

6.4 Reverse Percentage Trick


Key Insight: X% of Y = Y% of X
• 4% of 75 = 75% of 4 = 3 (easier to calculate)
• 8% of 50 = 50% of 8 = 4
• 16% of 25 = 25% of 16 = 4

6.5 Successive Percentage Changes


Formula: Net % = a + b + (ab/100)
Example: Increase by 20%, then by 10%
• 20 + 10 + (20×10/100) = 30 + 2 = 32% increase
Example: Increase by 20%, then decrease by 10%
• 20 + (-10) + (20×(-10)/100) = 10 - 2 = 8% net increase
7. SQUARE ROOT METHODS
7.1 Perfect Square Recognition
Perfect squares end in: 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 9 only
Never end in: 2, 3, 7, 8

7.2 Quick Square Root Estimation


For 4-digit perfect squares:
14. First digit from left pair
15. Last digit from unit digit:
Last Digit 1 4 5 6 9 0

√ ends in 1 or 9 2 or 8 5 4 or 6 3 or 7 0

7.3 Division Method


Example: √3136
16. Group from right: 31|36
17. Largest square ≤ 31 is 25 (5²), so first digit is 5
18. Unit digit 6 → could be 4 or 6 (from table above)
19. Since 31 < 5×6 = 30, choose smaller: 54
20. Check: 54² = 2916 ✗, try 56: 56² = 3136 ✓
8. CUBE AND CUBE ROOT TRICKS
8.1 Cubes You Must Know
Number Cube Number Cube Number Cube Number Cube
1 1 6 216 11 1331 16 4096
2 8 7 343 12 1728 17 4913
3 27 8 512 13 2197 18 5832
4 64 9 729 14 2744 19 6859
5 125 10 1000 15 3375 20 8000

8.2 Cube Root Recognition


Last digit of cube determines last digit of cube root:

Last Digit of
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Cube

Last Digit of ∛ 0 1 8 7 4 5 6 3 2 9

8.3 Finding Cube Roots


Example: ∛13824
21. Last digit is 4 → cube root ends in 4
22. Remove last 3 digits: 13
23. Largest cube ≤ 13 is 8 (2³), so first digit is 2
24. Answer: 24

8.4 Algebraic Identity


(a + b)³ = a³ + 3a²b + 3ab² + b³
(a - b)³ = a³ - 3a²b + 3ab² - b³
a³ + b³ = (a + b)(a² - ab + b²)
a³ - b³ = (a - b)(a² + ab + b²)
9. ALGEBRAIC SIMPLIFICATION TECHNIQUES
9.1 Essential Identities
(a + b)² = a² + 2ab + b²
(a - b)² = a² - 2ab + b²
a² - b² = (a + b)(a - b)
(a + b + c)² = a² + b² + c² + 2ab + 2bc + 2ca

9.2 Value Substitution


When given options, substitute values smartly:
• Use simple values like 0, 1, 2, 10, 100
• Eliminate obviously wrong options first
• Check extreme cases (very small or very large)

9.3 Ratio and Proportion


If a/b = c/d, then:
• ad = bc (cross multiplication)
• (a+b)/(c+d) = a/c = b/d (componendo-dividendo)
• (a-b)/(a+b) = (c-d)/(c+d)
10. DAILY PRACTICE DRILLS
10.1 10-Minute Daily Routine
Do these EVERY day for 2 weeks:
• Multiplication: 5 random 2-digit × 2-digit problems
• Squaring: 5 random squares (focus on 40-70 range)
• Percentage: Convert 5 fractions to percentages
• Approximation: 3 problems like 199 × 201
• Unit digit: Find last digit of 5 exponential numbers

10.2 Practice Problems


Multiplication Practice:
25. 42 × 48 = ?
26. 97 × 93 = ?
27. 56 × 45 = ?

Squaring Practice:
28. 47² = ?
29. 62.5% as fraction = ?
30. √2304 = ?

Unit Digit Practice:


31. Last digit of 7³⁹ = ?
32. Last digit of 3⁴⁵ = ?
FINAL SUCCESS TIPS
Selection Mantra #01
"Calculations take too much time, and I make frequent mistakes!"

Hacks to Overcome This:


• Avoid calculator while solving PYQs and Mock Tests
• Memorize key values: Tables (1-30), Squares (1-50), Cubes (1-20), Values of
different powers of 2 to 10
• Important percentage-to-fraction conversions and equivalent values for
successive percentage changes (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%)
• Values for perimeter & area of a circle with radius 7, etc.
• Reduce pen usage: Develop mental calculation skills - Practice solving small
additions, subtractions, multiplications, and divisions without writing
• To learn the best calculation techniques, search for Brahmastra Series (Mission
2024) Calculation Videos by Aditya Ranjan Sir on YouTube

Daily Practice Strategy


• Daily 10-minute Calculation Drill
• Multiplication Trick: 42 × 48 = ?
• Squaring Trick: 47² = ?
• Percentage to Fraction: 62.5% = ?
• Approximation: 199 × 201 = ?
• Unit Digit Trick: What is the last digit of 7³⁹?

Master These First


• Master Value Putting in Algebra & Trigonometry: Instead of solving algebraic
expressions traditionally, learn how to substitute values smartly
• Use options to solve faster: Carefully observe the given answer choices and
eliminate irrelevant options to save time

The Golden Rule

Speed + Accuracy = Selection!


Practice daily and calculations will feel effortless in the exam!

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Practice these tricks daily for 30 days and watch your calculation speed double!

Common questions

Powered by AI

Mastering squares and cubes allows individuals to perform rapid calculations involving these powers without relying on calculators. For algebraic simplifications, knowing standard squares (e.g., 13²=169) and cubes (e.g., 7³=343) accelerates the evaluation of polynomial expressions and manipulation of power terms . This expertise enables quick recognition of patterns and simplification of complex equations, thus saving vital exam time and reducing potential errors in computation .

The technique for multiplying numbers close to 100 involves the formula: (100-a) × (100-b) = (100-a-b) | (a×b). For example, multiplying 97 and 96 involves calculating (100-3-4) for the left part, giving 93, and multiplying 3×4 for the right part, giving 12, resulting in 9312 . This method efficiently breaks down the multiplication into smaller, easier calculations, reducing the need for traditional multiplication and lowering error rates .

The successive percentage changes formula, Net % = a + b + (ab/100), is essential for calculating compound growth or reduction effects in scenarios involving multiple percentage changes. For example, a 20% increase followed by a 10% decrease is computed as 20 + (-10) + (20×(-10)/100) = 10 - 2 = 8% net increase . This formula aids in financial calculations like compound interest and investment growth assessments, enabling the evaluation of cumulative change over multiple periods efficiently .

Understanding the identity (a+b+c)² = a² + b² + c² + 2ab + 2bc + 2ca assists in expanding and simplifying polynomial expressions by providing a clear method to handle three-term expressions. For example, calculating (x+2+y)² involves straightforward computation of squares and cross-products: x² + 4 + y² + 4x + 2y + 2xy. This foundational skill aids in recognizing expansion patterns, making it easier to manage algebraic evaluations .

The squaring trick for numbers ending in 5 uses the formula (x5)² = x(x + 1)/25, which simplifies the squaring process. For example, to square 25, calculate 2×3=6 and attach 25, resulting in 625 . This method leverages the predictable nature of squares ending in 25 to bypass conventional multiplication, allowing faster computation while mitigating computational errors common in timed settings .

Substituting values into algebraic expressions involves choosing specific numbers for variables to simplify complex equations. This strategy eliminates more laborious algebraic manipulation by allowing direct computation of numerical results. For instance, substituting manageable numbers like 0 or 1 can reduce complex terms significantly, highlighting solution pathways and allowing rapid elimination of incorrect options . Particularly in timed tests, this approach saves time and enhances accuracy by simplifying the expression-checking process .

Effective strategies for memorizing multiplication tables include using mnemonic devices, pattern recognition (e.g., commutative patterns), consistent practice with flashcards, and engaging with multiplication games. For competitive exam candidates, this memorization reduces cognitive load when solving complex problems involving multiplication, as calculations become instantaneous rather than requiring step-by-step operations, leading to improved speed and accuracy .

The division trick involves multiplying the number by 2 and dividing by 10, simplifying division by 5. For example, 235 ÷ 5 becomes (235×2)÷10 = 470÷10 = 47 . This method provides a quick mental workaround that avoids long division, enabling rapid calculations. Its advantage lies in reducing multi-step processes to simpler calculations, particularly useful for mental arithmetic during exams where manual division is time-consuming and prone to errors .

Key percentage-fraction equivalents, such as knowing that 5% equals 1/20 or 50% equals 1/2, allow you to quickly convert between percentages and fractions without performing complex arithmetic. For instance, finding 25% of a number becomes straightforward by dividing the number by 4 . This memorization reduces the need for calculators, speeds up mental calculations, and minimizes errors, particularly in exam settings where time efficiency is crucial .

Cross multiplication from Vedic mathematics involves calculating AB × CD by dividing the problem into: A×C for the left part, (A×D + B×C) for the middle, and B×D for the right part. For example, for 23×14, calculate 2×1 for the left, (2×4 + 3×1) for the middle, and 3×4 for the right. The final calculation becomes 2||11||12, simplifying to 322 . This step-by-step approach combines smaller calculations, facilitating faster and more manageable computation .

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