Autistic Savants and large number primality detection.

In a sequel to the paper on small number primality detection by mental arithmetic.In this paper, we consider primality detection of four digit prime numbers, leading next to larger six digit and eight digit numbers, optionally scaled to arbitrary sized numbers. Several mental arithmetic techniques as mental arithmetic exercises from literature are cited, towards effective primality detection, by mental arithmetic only.The “large primes” mental arithmetic skill is developed both as a web based UI and as a UI based on slack, using the Wolfram Alpha nd Wolfram API , for primality testing and for Easter Eggs on prime numbers.Keywords: ASD, prime number determination, autistic savants, mathematical testing, Alexa Skills, learning and Cognition, Rabin-Miller test, Lucas test, fermat primes.

PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN BERHITUNG MELALUI PERMAINAN TRADISIONAL DAKON DI RAUDHATUL ATHFAL AL KAMAL 1 PALARAN SAMARINDA

Along with the development of science and technology, traditional games that can develop children’s skills still exist. One of them is dakon. This research is a classroom research aimed to develop arithmetic skills at Raudhatul Athfal Al Kamal 1 Palaran Samarinda. The research subjects were 12 students with 6 males and 6 females. The traditional game dakon focuses on introducing number 1-20, mentioning the number order 1-20, and sorting numbers of dakon. This research was carried out through two cycles with three meetings each cycle. The result of research shows that before the treatment the students’ skill is 0%. After the treatment, the skill on the cycle 1 is 31% with developing criteria. On the cycle 2, the skill is 77% with well-developed criteria. Thus, it can be concluded that the traditional game dakon can develop the students’ arithmetic skills of Raudhatul Athfal Al Kamal 1 Palaran, Samarinda.Key words: arithmetic skill, Dakon, traditional game

Arithmetic Skill May Refine the Performance of Individuals with High Math Anxiety, Especially in the Calculation Task: An ERP Study

As a global phenomenon, the theme of math anxiety has received increasing attention. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between math anxiety and performance and determine the role of arithmetic skill in two different tasks. Fifty-seven college freshmen were recruited to perform a comparison task and a calculation task. Only main effect of arithmetic skill was found on the behavioral level. In the comparison task, participants with high math anxiety (HMA) showed faster latencies and greater amplitudes of N1 and longer P3b latency relative to their counterparts with low math anxiety (LMA). Number, as a negative stimulus, occupied attentional resources and delayed the speed of cognitive processing for individuals with HMA. Furthermore, among those with HMA, individuals with high arithmetic skill showed larger amplitudes and shorter latencies of P2 compared with those with low airthmetic skill in the calculation task. Thus, arithmetic skill could refine the performance efficiency of individuals with HMA, especially in the calculation task. These results suggest that educational interventions emphasizing control of negative emotional responses to math stimuli will be more effective when considering different populations of mathematically competent individuals.

Spatial skills first: The importance of mental rotation for arithmetic skill acquisition

Considering the importance of arithmetic in school curricula, it is crucial to understand the cognitive processes underlying its successful acquisition. Previous research suggests the involvement of spatial skills, especially during arithmetic skill acquisition. We assessed the predictive effect of mental rotation on different arithmetic components in children halfway through elementary school. At this stage, additions and subtractions are already well mastered, while multiplications and divisions are newly acquired. Although mental rotation positively correlated with arithmetic performances regardless of operation, only multiplication, division and completion performances were significantly predicted by mental rotation when controlling for age, gender as well as domain-specific symbolic number skills and visuospatial short-term memory. This highlights the differential effects of mental rotation on arithmetic and suggests a particular importance for newly acquired arithmetic material. These findings extend previous research on the relation between spatial skills and arithmetic and yield practical information for mathematical education and instruction.

More Space, Better Mathematics: Is Space a Powerful Tool or a Cornerstone for Understanding Arithmetic?

Undoubtedly, tight links between space and number processing exist. Usually, findings of Spatial-Numerical Associations (SNA) are interpreted causally, i.e., that spatial capabilities aid or are even a fundamental cornerstone of mathematical skill. In this book chapter, we question this seemingly ubiquitous assumption.To start with, there is no robust and prevalent correlation between SNA in general and math abilities. After presenting an extended taxonomy for different SNA subtypes, we show that only some SNA subtypes correlate with math abilities, whereas others do not. We argue that these correlations are not conclusive for several reasons. (i) Their correlations vary (i.e., stronger SNA sometimes is related to better math ability, and sometimes to poorer math ability). (ii) The correlations might not show a genuine relation between space and number; rather mediator variables might explain the correlations. For instance, SNA tasks often involve an interference component tapping cognitive control functions (as in multi-digit number processing) or some relatively advanced reasoning skills or strategies. (iii) Finally, the direction of causality (if it exists) is far from resolved. While conventional theories suggest that spatial-numerical abilities underlie arithmetic skill, we argue that vice versa arithmetic abilities instead underlie performance in some spatial-numerical tasks used to assess spatial-numerical representations.On the other hand, benefits conferred by SNA trainings on math abilities seem to reinforce the claim that SNA underlies math abilities. We contend that tasks used in such trainings may tap several cognitive operations required in arithmetic, but not built-up fixed SNAs themselves. Therefore, we argue that using space is a powerful tool, especially for instructing and learning multi-digit numbers; however, this does not necessarily imply an internalized fixed mental number line.

An Experiment on Children with Special Needs (CSWN) To Check the Effect of Exclusive Approach on Reading, Writing and Arithmetic Skills

Everyone has a difficulty in one area or the other. Most of time, it does not interfere with day to day functioning. However, when the area of difficulty is in the cognitive region, it impedes academic learning, which is largely pegged on the 3R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic) in the current educational system. Learning disabled are those children who have normal characteristics as their peer group but lack in their academic skills, and thus they are left aside as referring them as troublesome children. It is estimated that five to fifteen school-going children are affected by learning disorder. Diagnosis of learning disabled children can help parents and teachers to provide early intervention and support services. Studies have shown that learning disabled children are in alarming condition that needs help. Learning disability may continue life-long, if not cured early. Teachers, parents, school administrators, community members, resource persons and special educators with effective modules and strategies, taking into account strength and weakness of the children help in their identification and remediation programmes. The result proved that strategies used by the investigator can be helpful for teaching the learning disabled children of elementary stage to a certain extent so as to improve their reading, writing and arithmetic skill.