Mental arithmetic - igeniously simple

As part of the Bielefeld Science Festival GENIALE, which takes place every three years, the open mental arithmetic championships have been thrilling children, young people and adults since 2014.

Participation:
You need to know your times tables and enjoy arithmetic.

Preparation and competition:
There are practice sessions before the championship. Lots of people take part.

Who is behind the project:
The project is run jointly by:

    Kirsten Biedermann from the Ravensberger Erfinderwerkstatt association

    Prof. Dr. Michael Kleine and his students from Bielefeld University

During the practice sessions, the supervisors share tips and tricks that make mental arithmetic easier.

Competition day:
On the day of the competition, everyone shows what they have learned.

The competition lasts 45 minutes.
The participants solve problems in their heads, for example:

    Calculating with numbers in the calendar

    Breaking numbers down into smaller parts

    Converting Roman numerals

    Adding or subtracting numbers

    Multiplying numbers

Permitted aids:

    Dextrose

    A pen to write down the results

    Mind and skill

At the award ceremony, the winners receive:

    Certificates

    Prizes

    Medals

All participants demonstrate that they are very good at mental arithmetic.

The joy of arithmetic:
Arithmetic can be fun.
This is demonstrated by the practice sessions and a joint evening with snacks and arithmetic puzzles.
The participants enjoy learning new calculation methods and applying them.
Age is irrelevant.
Some who previously had problems with arithmetic at school discover the joy of it and their own abilities.

The project shows that:

    Arithmetic can be exciting.

    Arithmetic has social value because everyone learns and practises together.