BEATCALC:  Beat the Calculator!

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Back to Calculation Tips & Tricks
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From the BEATCALC mailing list:
a weekly service from B. Lee Clay, archived here by the Math Forum.
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    Squaring numbers between 2000 and 2099

  1. Choose a number between 2000 and 2099. (Start with numbers below 2025 to begin with, then graduate to larger numbers.)
  2. The first two digits are: 4 0 _ _ _ _ _
  3. The next two digits are 4 times the last two digits:
    4 0 X X _ _ _
  4. For the last three digits, square the last two digits in the number chosen (insert zeros when needed):
    4 0 _ _ X X X

   Example:

  1. If the number to be squared is 2003:
  2. The first two digits are: 4 0 _ _ _ _ _
  3. The next two digits are 4 times the last two:
    4 x 3 = 12: _ _ 1 2 _ _ _
  4. For the last three digits, square the last two:
    3 x 3 = 9: _ _ _ _ 0 0 9
  5. So 2003 x 2003 = 4,012,009.

   See the pattern?

    For larger numbers, reverse the order:

  1. If the number to be squared is 2025:
  2. For the last three digits, square the last two:
    25 x 25 = 625: _ _ _ _ 6 2 5
  3. The middle two digits are 4 times the last two (keep the carry):
    4 x 25 = 100 (keep carry of 1): _ _ 0 0 _ _ _
  4. The first two digits are 40 + the carry:
    40 + 1 = 41: 4 1 _ _ _ _ _
  5. So 2025 x 2025 = 4,100,625.


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8 November 1999
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