A TikTok video of a novel, ancient multiplication method has gone viral. While the user, jesslouisec, calls the method Japanese multiplication and some mathematicians say it’s “Vedic ...

When I first saw this Japanese multiplication method, I just couldn’t believe it. Then I tried it and it works perfectly, but still can’t understand how it works—or how anyone found this method.

First, pick a multiplication problem. YouTuber MindYourDecisions has an excellent explanatory video , so to follow along with their example we’ll go with 12 x 13 . Next, draw out your lines.

If you're down to learn something cool and quick this early in the year, a multiplication "trick" attributed to the Japanese may be your best bet. The graphic method, which makes use of sticks and ...

For example, the Japanese multiplication method becomes very inefficient when dealing with larger numbers – just try 9×8 and suddenly you find yourself counting 72 different intersections.