Meet Aaryan Shukla: The teenage math prodigy who shattered six Guinness World Records in one day

Aaryan Shukla, a 14-year-old prodigy from Maharashtra, has made history by breaking six Guinness World Records in a single day during a mental math competition in Dubai. Dubbed the 'human calculator,' Aaryan stunned audiences with his lightning-fast calculations, setting new benchmarks in mathematical speed and accuracy.

Breaking Multiple Records in a Single Day

The records set by Aaryan include the fastest time to:

• Mentally add 100 four-digit numbers – 30.9 seconds
• Mentally add 200 four-digit numbers – 1 minute 9.68 seconds
• Mentally add 50 five-digit numbers – 18.71 seconds
• Mentally divide a 20-digit number by a ten-digit number (set of ten) – 5 minutes 42 seconds
• Mentally multiply two five-digit numbers (set of ten) – 51.69 seconds
• Mentally multiply two eight-digit numbers (set of ten) – 2 minutes 35.41 seconds

When asked about his rigorous training, Aaryan emphasized, "Daily practice is one of the important aspects to prepare for competitions, so I practise for about five to six hours daily." He also credits Sahaja Yoga meditation for helping him stay calm and focused during high-pressure calculations.

Aaryan describes his thought process as instinctive rather than conscious. "A lot of things in mental calculations happen in a flash of a second, so I cannot say what happens inside my head, I just do it naturally," he explained.

A History of Achievements

Aaryan’s journey in mental mathematics began at an early age. By the age of six, he was already honing his skills. In 2022, he won the prestigious Mental Calculation World Cup in Germany at just 12 years old. He is also one of the founding board members of the Global Mental Calculators Association (GMCA), an organization dedicated to promoting mental calculation worldwide.

Apart from his extraordinary mathematical abilities, Aaryan enjoys reading adventure and mystery books, playing video games, and cricket. His parents identified his talent early on, encouraging him to pursue competitive mental math.