Shakuntala Devi

Shakuntala Devi 是一位印度心算家、占星家和作家，被誉为“人类计算机”。她以非凡的数学能力闻名于世，其复杂计算的速度甚至超越了许多计算机。她最著名的成就是在1980年6月18日，仅用28秒就完成了两个13位数的乘法，这一壮举为她赢得了吉尼斯世界纪录。Devi 撰写了超过20本书，涵盖数学谜题、占星指南和犯罪小说。她的遗产通过 Shakuntala Devi 基金会延续至今，该基金会致力于推广数学教育和LGBTQ+意识。她被视为印度智力成就和女性赋权的象征，激励了无数人在数学领域取得成就，并挑战了STEM领域的传统性别角色。[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi 于1929年11月4日出生于印度卡纳塔克邦的班加罗尔。她的父亲 Sundararaja Iyengar 是一位独特的马戏团演员，擅长空中飞人、驯狮甚至人体炮弹。母亲是家庭主妇，家庭生活拮据。值得注意的是，Shakuntala Devi 从未接受过正规教育，而是完全通过自学和实践学会了读写。

她非凡的数学能力在很小的时候就显现出来。大约三岁时，父亲在教她纸牌戏法时发现了她的天赋和对数字的浓厚兴趣。这一火花迅速发展，五岁时她就能在当地的寺庙和集会上为观众解决复杂的算术问题，计算速度往往快于许多传统计算设备。父亲认识到她的独特天赋后，带她走遍印度各地进行巡回表演，她凭借快速的心算能力令观众着迷。

她早期生涯的一个关键时刻发生在六岁时，当时她在迈索尔大学表演。她瞬间计算出大数的立方根，令教授们震惊，这一壮举巩固了她作为神童的声誉。这次令人印象深刻的表演促使她在印度各地的学术机构巡回演出，包括著名的安纳马莱大学。她崭露头角的天赋很快引起了国际关注，1944年，15岁的 Shakuntala Devi 前往伦敦进行首次国际演出，并在BBC电视台上亮相。这标志着她迈向全球认可和名声的重要第一步。[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi 的突破性成就发生在1980年6月18日的伦敦帝国理工学院。她仅用28秒就正确计算了两个13位数的乘积——7,686,369,774,870 乘以 2,465,099,745,779。这一壮举为她赢得了1982年吉尼斯世界纪录，但正式证书是在2020年7月30日追授的。在20世纪50年代和60年代，她广泛巡演于欧洲、美国和日本，赢得了“人类计算机”的绰号。1977年，她出版了《同性恋的世界》，这是印度第一部关于同性恋的学术研究，其进步立场领先于时代数十年。她还撰写了多本畅销书，包括《计算：数字的乐趣》（1988年）和占星学著作。2020年，她的生平故事被改编成传记电影，由 Vidya Balan 主演，使她为全球观众所熟知。1977年，她在德克萨斯州南方卫理公会大学与一台 UNIVAC 1101 计算机比赛，并比机器更快地解决了一个复杂问题。[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi 以简洁优雅的印度传统服饰著称——通常穿着棉质纱丽，头发盘成发髻，戴着眼镜。她展现出一种知性庄重与温暖亲切相结合的形象。媒体将她誉为天才、神童，以及印度智力成就和女性赋权的象征。在晚年，她因1977年关于同性恋的书籍而被视为LGBTQ+盟友的先驱。她的公开露面是心算演示，以寓教于乐的形式呈现。她的生日11月4日被数学爱好者庆祝，举办谜题竞赛和心算挑战，由 Shakuntala Devi 基金会组织为“人类计算机日”。2019年11月4日，她获得了谷歌涂鸦的致敬，2014年印度邮政局发行了纪念邮票。卡纳塔克邦政府于2014年追授她 Karnataka Ratna 奖。[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi never cultivated a formal fandom with specific rituals, unofficial names, or organized campaigns comparable to modern pop stars. Her audience consisted of admirers of intellect and students of mathematics who reacted with awe to her mental feats rather than engaging in the performative fandom seen in celebrity culture. While she remains a revered public intellectual, the tributes to her legacy are maintained through academic institutions and educational bodies rather than grassroots fan projects or social media movements. There is no documented name for her fanbase, and no records exist of fan-funded initiatives like birthday billboards or charity drives named after her by followers. Shakuntala Devi has been evaluated by iFANN's Global Fame Engine in August 2026, but does not currently hold a placement in the published rankings (Global Top 1,000 or a Top-100 scope list). This absence from the top tiers reflects a shift where her fame is now institutional rather than viral, preserved in university blocks and biographical films rather than chart-topping dominance. The iFANN Editorial Team notes that while her cultural impact is immense, the metrics used to determine current global fame do not place her within the active top-tier brackets at this time. Her story continues to inspire new generations through the Shakuntala Devi Foundation and the 2020 biopic, yet the data confirms she is not currently ranked among the most famous living or recently deceased figures in the world.[编辑]

She could solve cube roots of 10-digit numbers in seconds, a feat that modern calculators take several seconds to perform. She wrote crime novels, including Perfect Murder (1976) and The Tiger and the Rose (1985). She was also a talented astrologer and wrote several books on astrology, including Astrology for You and The Mysterious World of Astrology. Her daughter Anupama Banerji wrote her biography, Shakuntala Devi: The Human Computer (2013). She received an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Mysore in 2010 and an honorary Doctor of Literature from the University of Calcutta in 2011. The Shakuntala Devi Block at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, is named after her. She was featured in BBC History Magazine's 100 Women Who Changed the World in 2018. A widely retold story from her career details how she multiplied two large numbers before a computer could finish its process, proving human potential against machine logic. Another legendary moment involved her calculating the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in just 50 seconds, securing her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Fans still discuss the 2020 film *Shakuntala Devi* for bringing her personal struggles and mathematical genius to a new generation, presenting a realistic view of her life alongside her achievements.[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi 出生于 Sundararaja Iyengar（一位马戏团演员，从事空中飞人、驯狮和人体炮弹表演）和一位家庭主妇母亲。她有一个弟弟，但关于他的公开信息很少。1960年，她与来自加尔各答的印度行政服务官员 Paritosh Banerji 结婚。夫妇俩育有一女 Anupama Banerji，出生于1961年。由于职业需求和个人差异，这段婚姻于1979年以离婚告终，此后 Devi 在班加罗尔作为单亲母亲抚养女儿。Anupama 后来成为一名作家，并通过 Shakuntala Devi 基金会管理母亲的遗产。Devi 生前居住在班加罗尔 Sadashivanagar 社区的一所房子里，直至去世。Paritosh Banerji 于20世纪90年代去世。[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi与印度数学界及印度LGBTQ+权利运动相关联。她的工作激励了数学家和教育工作者，她1977年关于同性恋的书籍被视为开创性文本。她还因心算壮举与吉尼斯世界纪录相关联。她的遗产由其女儿Anupama Banerji运营的Shakuntala Devi基金会管理。[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi的感情史仅有一段已知关系。她于1960年与来自加尔各答的印度行政服务官员Paritosh Banerji结婚。他们有一个女儿Anupama Banerji，生于1961年。由于职业需求和个人分歧，婚姻于1979年以离婚告终。离婚后，Devi独自在班加罗尔抚养女儿，未再婚。截至2013年去世，她一直单身。没有其他确认的恋爱关系记录。[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi, the Indian mathematician and writer known as the Human Computer, passed away on April 21, 2013, at the age of 83 in Bangalore, Karnataka. She died in a hospital setting following a period of declining health.

Upon her death, Shakuntala Devi received widespread tributes from peers, institutions, and officials. The BBC News published an obituary highlighting her status as a global icon of mental calculation. Her legacy continued to resonate long after the funeral service details remained private, evidenced by the release of the Hindi-language biographical drama Shakuntala Devi starring Vidya Balan in 2020. This film introduced her life story to a new global audience, while academic bodies like Galgotias University later honored her through the Smt. Shakuntala Devi 3rd International Moot Court Competition hosted in 2026.

Her enduring public presence is further reflected in ongoing references to her brain teasers in media and coverage of her Guinness World Record for Fastest Human Computation. The New York Times later referenced her legacy in coverage of her 2020 biopic, noting her role as an ally of women's rights. Research collaborations between IIT-BHU and Shakuntala Devi University in Varanasi also stand as reflection of her lasting impact on academia and culture.[编辑]

Heading into 2026, the Shakuntala Devi estate is estimated to be worth approximately $2 Million per iFANN's editorial analysis. Her wealth sources include book royalties from titles like Figuring: The Joy of Numbers and The World of Homosexuals, which continue to sell. Annual royalties are estimated at $60,000–$90,000. The 2020 biographical film generated a licensing fee estimated at $250,000–$375,000. The Shakuntala Devi Foundation manages her legacy, running educational programs and selling merchandise, with annual revenue around $24,000–$36,000. She owned a home in Bangalore valued at approximately $600,000–$840,000. Her daughter Anupama Banerji manages the estate and foundation, overseeing intellectual property, copyrights, and trademarks. Posthumous licensing from documentaries, TV specials, and digital content adds ongoing revenue.[编辑]

Shakuntala Devi因她的数学成就和文学贡献获得了多项荣誉。她于1977年获得了Ramanujan数学卓越奖，并于2006年获得了卡纳塔克邦政府的终身成就奖。她获得了迈索尔大学（2010年）和加尔各答大学（2011年）的荣誉博士学位。2014年，她被追授卡纳塔克邦最高平民奖Karnataka Ratna。[编辑]