Here is Shekhar's letter (some plus signs were omitted):
I am a student from India. I am 15 years old. My English may be a
little poor. I have visited your website 'Mr. P's Math Page'. From
there 'Puzzles and Games', 'Math Trick', 'Number and Computational
Tricks', 'Multiplication Trick'. In this sequence I have reached the
trick of multiplying two numbers.
It said that we have to half one number till it reaches 1, and double
the second number. After canceling the even number(s) in the first
part and the corresponding numbers in the second part, the sum of the
leftover numbers in the second part will be the product of the two
numbers. You said that you don't know an explanation for this trick.
Here I am trying to give an explanation.
(I have not taken any help from anyone to find this explanation. I
would like to get a reply of this mail as soon as possible.)
*You said if the first number is odd after halving we will discard the
fraction. It is like subtracting 1 and dividing by 2.
13/2=6.5, after discarding fraction, =6
Also 13-1=12, 12/2=6
*After subtracting 1 (if necessary) and dividing by 2 as we make 1 we
make a binary representation of the number.
13-1=12, 12/2=6 (1)
6/2=3 (0)
3-1=2, 2/2=1 (1)
1 (1)
Or 13 (1)
6 (0)
3 (1)
1 (1)
Therefore 13(base 2) =1101
This can also be written as
2^3 * 1 + 2^2 * 1 + 2^1 * 0 + 2^0 * 1 = 13
Or 8 + 4 + 1 = 13
Therefore multiplying a number by 13 =
Multiplying the number by 8 +
Multiplying the number by 4 +
Multiplying the number by 1
13x = 8x + 4x + x
*Canceling the even number(s) in the first
part means canceling the
0(s) in the number's binary form.
13 1
6 0
3 1
1 1
this become after canceling
13 1
3 1
1 1
This digits can be represented as
13 1 1
3 1 4
1 1 8
The last column sums to the number taken
*This can be expanded as
13 1 1 x
6 0 0 2x
3 1 4 4x
1 1 8 8x
After canceling the even digits
13 1 1 x
3 1 4 4x
1 1 8 8x
The last column sums to 13x = 13 * x
*As it is seen, by this method the first
number is braked as multiples of 2. The
second number is multiplied with this
multiples of 2 and then the products
are added.
Examples
15 * 8
15 1 1 8 * 1 = 8
7 1 2 8 * 2 = 16
3 1 4 8 * 4 = 32
1 1 8 8 * 8 = 64
No even numbers to cancel
15 * 8 = 8 + 16 + 32 + 64 = 120
Or 8 * 15
8 0 0 15 * 1 = 15
4 0 0 15 * 2 = 30
2 0 0 15 * 4 = 60
1 1 8 15 * 8 = 120
After canceling the even numbers
1 1 8 15 * 8 = 120
8 * 15 = 120
I hope this explanation will help.
Waiting for reply.