He can outsmart a calculator: 13-year-old prodigy rules numbers game
Whether it's memorizing 500 random digits in under 30 minutes or solving intricate equations in seconds, Ayan's brain seems wired for numbers.
His extraordinary talent recently earned him the Champion of Champions (COC) title at the 20th UCMAS Mental Maths State-Level Competition held in Gujarat. Competing in the grand level—the most advanced and demanding category — Ayan not only took home the coveted trophy but also won a cash prize of Rs 11,000.
"This achievement is a dream come true for us," said Dr Mohsin Vahora, Ayan's father and a veterinary doctor at Amul Dairy.
The Universal Concepts in Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) is a global child development programme that uses abacus-based visual arithmetic to enhance cognitive skills in children aged 4 to 13. It sharpens memory, concentration, and logical thinking — alongside improving mathematical ability.
"At the state-level competition, the grand level is the toughest category," explained Dr Vahora. "Participants are given just eight minutes to solve a maximum number of problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square roots — sometimes with up to six-digit numbers and decimals."
Ayan's top score in this gruelling challenge earned him the COC title — granted to the highest scorer across the state.
But his success doesn't stop there. Ayan has bagged multiple UCMAS titles and participated in several national and international contests. In Dec last year, he competed in an international mental maths championship in New Delhi, featuring 6,000 students from more than 30 countries — where he secured the second runner-up position.
Back home, the young prodigy continues to set new challenges for himself. In one recent feat, he multiplied a 50-digit random number by a single digit in under two and a half minutes — all in his head.
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