Help With Multiplication Using The Special Cases Method

Addition and subtraction of multiple digit numbers are easy enough to do in your head, but multiplication beyond the multiplication table can be difficult. There are some special cases -- like multiplying by 10 -- that are easy, and with a little thought, you can extend these "special cases" to include some related calculations. For example, multiplying by 5 is the same as dividing by two and multiplying by ten so 12 X 5 = 6 X 10 = 60. Knowing these special cases and how to extend them can make mental multiplication easy.
  1. Eleven

    • Multiplying by eleven is easy. Here is the model: 11 X AB = A(A + B)B. For example 11 X 23 = 253 and 11 X 51 = 561. Sometimes there is a carry, as in 11 X 56 = 5(11)6 = 616. You can extend this to three or more digits with the model 11 X ABC = A(A + B)(B + C)C, so 11 X 123 = 1353. This technique can also be extended to double numbers as with 3 X 55 = (3 X 5) X 11 = 15 X 11 = 165. One final example: 55 X 77 = 11 X 11 X 35 = 11 X 385 = 3(11)(13)5 = 4235.

    Squaring

    • Squaring numbers that end in 5 is easy. Here is the model: (A5)^2 =A(A + 1)25. This means that 25^2 = (2 X 3)25 = 625, and 75^2 = (7 X 8)25 = 5625. Also notice that this extends to (A5 + N)(A5 - N) = A5^2 - N^2, so 24 X 26 = 25^2 - 1 = 624 and 33 X 37 = 1225 - 4 = 1221. This algorithm also works where the first digits are the same and the second digits add to 10. The model is AB X AC = A(A + 1)(B X C) if B + C = 10. This means that 23 X 27 = (2 X 3)(3 X 7) = 621.

    Numbers near 100

    • If two numbers are both slightly larger than 100, the are easy to multiply. The model is 10A X 10B = 1(A + B)(A X B). This means that 102 X 103 = 1(2 + 3)(2 X 3) = 10506 and 107 X 109 = 16316. If the two numbers are both slightly less than 100, let A* mean 100 - A, then A X B = (A - B*)(A* X B*), So 93 X 97 = (93 - 3)(7 X 3) = 9021.

    Squaring Numbers Near 50

    • For squaring numbers slightly larger than 50, the model is 5A^2 =(25 + A)A^2. Therefore 57^2 = (25 + 7)7^2 = 3249. For numbers slightly less than 50, the model is (50 - B)^2 = (25 - B)B^2, so 47^2 = (25 - 3)3^2 = 2209. The same tricks work for these squares so 56 X 58 = 57^2 - 1 = 3249 - 1 = 3248.

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