Poll: the sum(7,9)

[Jim Hurley]

>
>What a fascinating question! I had to think for a minute to try and
>analyze how I do that sort of mental arithmetic, but in the end I
>realized what I do.
>
>I seem to have a visual stack that goes up to 10, so I put the 9 into
>stack, then move 1 from the 7 to fill the stack, leaving me with 10 in
>the stack and 6 left over. I guess this is #1 but with more of a
>number-line visualization rather than fingers :-)
>
>HTH,
>Sarah
>


Sarah,

I am also digitally oriented. I envy those people with memories which 
allow them to simply snatch these results from their memory bank. 
Mine is bankrupt.

I also apply a similar digital technique on subtraction. For example: 
subtract 9 from 17. Subtract 7 from 9 to get 2; that's easy. Then 
subtract 2 from 10 to get 8. Therefore 9 from 17 = 8. Pathetic I 
know. I have even forgotten portions of the mutilation table. My 
transition into senility is very smooth.

(Do this with your fingers in you lap and you have a laptop computer.)

Jim