Jakow Trachtenberg (1888 - 1953), a Russian Jew who became the Founder of the Mathematical Institute in Zurich, Switzerland was of the firm opinion that everyone comes into the world with "phenomenal calculation possibilities". The Trachtenberg system offers fabulous and complete solutions with lightening speed and its based on sound logic. Jakow Trachtenberg was a brilliant engineer with an ingenious mind and he interestingly created this system while spending about 7 years at Hitler's concentration camp. He was born at Odessa on the 17 th of June during the year 1888 and graduated from the famous Berginstitut (Mining Engineering Institute) of St.Petersberg. Trachtenberg entered the world renowned Obuschoff shipyards as a student engineer and even while he was in his early twenties, he was named as the Chief Engineer. Those days there was a plan to create a powerful navy and about 11,000 men had been placed under him. It was time of the Great War which came to known as the First World War (1914 - 1918) and Trachtenberg organised a Society of Good Samaritans which trained students to care for the wounded soldiers and his good work won recognition from the Czar Nicholas II. Finally the murder of the imperial family in 1918 put an end to the navy plan and brutality by the communists affected the country in a big way. Since Trachtenberg voiced his opinion against the prevalent savagery he was put on the hit list. Therefore he escaped to Berlin by walking through the night and hiding through the day. Beautiful Berlin reminded him of St.Petersberg and he got together a few intellectuals and started a magazine through which he urged for peace in Germany.
Jakow Trachtenberg married a beautiful woman from the aristocracy and became popular as an expert on Russian affairs. He compiled the first reference book on the Russian industry. The innovator devised a method of teaching foreign languages in Germany and it became popular. Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor and Germany and his fascist methods were criticised by Trachtenberg. Hitler wanted to get rid of this outspoken intellectual and in order to safeguard his life, he moved over to Vienna with his beautiful wife and thereafter he became the editor of a scientific periodical. It was at Vienna that he wrote Das Friedensministerium (The Ministry of Peace) and this brought him plaudits from people like Roosevelt and Masaryk. The annexation of Austria by Hitler made it necessary for Trachtenberg to move to Yugoslavia with his wife Countess Alice. Somehow the Nazis caught up with him and he was taken to a concentration camp noted for its brutality.
In order to maintain his sanity, Jakow Trachenberg began using his time on Maths all the time. He believed that Maths was the key to precise thinking and in the absence of papers and pens he had to literally struggle to manage his pass time. He began to visualise big numbers and set about totalling them and since no one can remember thousands of numbers, he invented a fool proof method that would make it possible for even a kid to add them without making a mistake. His long years at the concentration camp was spent on his simplified system of maths and he devised shortcuts for everything from multiplication to algebra. The corruption and misery, the cries from clammy cells and torture chambers, the dirt and stench, the constant threat of death faded as Trachtenberg doggedly computed mathematical combinations - starting over and over again in order to make the system simpler. The hardships acted as a spur to his genius. Since paper was scarce he worked in his mind and made note of just the conclusions. Even today, one can use this method and work with the mind and put the answers on paper. During his seventh year at the concentration camp, one day in the year 1944, he learnt that he was to be executed but it did not bother him and he kept working frenetically and in order to formulate his theory in full Trachtenberg enlisted the role of a fellow prisoner.
Madame Trachtenberg had always been within the vicinity of the camp and on learning about the destiny of her beloved husband she used her jewellery and managed to bribe the officials which ensured that he was taken to another camp before his execution. The camp was at Leipzig and due to the war everything was in a state of chaos. He somehow managed to escape but was captured once again and sent to a labour camp at Trieste. The strong willed Trachtenberg escaped again and finally made to Switzerland along with his committed wife. While he slowly convalesced in Switzerland, he perfected the mathematical system which had kept him sane in spite of the torture at the hands of the Gestapo. Trachtenberg decided to teach the new system to children who were not doing well at school. His love for children made him teach them well and the shy cum withdrawn kids who were badly adjusted youngsters became successful instantly.
Jakow Trachtenberg founded the Mathematical Institute in the year 1950 and kids between the age of 7 and 18 formed part of the school. The evening classes were attended by hundreds of men and women who showed keen interest in the system. In fact all the students used to arrive early due to their new found love for a subject that they had once hated - mathematics. Actually mathematics is one of the poorest taught subjects stated a survey by the Princeton University and the Trachtenberg system addressed those issues that had been pointed out by the study. The Trachtenberg system is based on simple methods and there are no multiplication tables or division. In order to learn the system all that was required was the ability to count. The method is based on a series of keys which have to be taken by heart. On doing so and learning the system, arithmetic becomes very easy. One can achieve fabulous speed and accuracy by using this system which has a unique theory of checking by nines and elevens. Unlike the other methods which contain nothing more than sets of tricks the Trachtenberg system is a complete method. This system helps people with no aptitude for mathematics to achieve the results expected of a genius. Its known as the shorthand of mathematics.
The genius Trachtenberg thought that our difficulties arose due to the reason that we were taught maths using outdated methods. The system starts at the beginning and the student acquires the aptitude to do basic maths seamlessly thereby helping him or her to carry on without any fear. The feeling of accomplishment soon made them lose their unhappy traits. Trachtenberg taught the system to a presumably retarded child and it not only learned how to compute but also got its IQ improved in the process! The youngsters who became proficient with the aid of this system achieved a poise and assurance that changed their outlook which resulted in them moving ahead in their academics. The Swiss used to refer to this school as the "School for Genius". The Trachtenberg system made people to ultimately break the machine and once mastered, this system can make mathematics a pleasure for everyone concerned. There are several books which throw light on the system, however the book - "The Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics", translated and adapted by Ann Cutler and Rudolph McShane tops the list. The eight chapters can surely make one master the method. It sure would be interesting to use the Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics and attain expertise in the subject.
Jakow Trachtenberg married a beautiful woman from the aristocracy and became popular as an expert on Russian affairs. He compiled the first reference book on the Russian industry. The innovator devised a method of teaching foreign languages in Germany and it became popular. Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor and Germany and his fascist methods were criticised by Trachtenberg. Hitler wanted to get rid of this outspoken intellectual and in order to safeguard his life, he moved over to Vienna with his beautiful wife and thereafter he became the editor of a scientific periodical. It was at Vienna that he wrote Das Friedensministerium (The Ministry of Peace) and this brought him plaudits from people like Roosevelt and Masaryk. The annexation of Austria by Hitler made it necessary for Trachtenberg to move to Yugoslavia with his wife Countess Alice. Somehow the Nazis caught up with him and he was taken to a concentration camp noted for its brutality.
In order to maintain his sanity, Jakow Trachenberg began using his time on Maths all the time. He believed that Maths was the key to precise thinking and in the absence of papers and pens he had to literally struggle to manage his pass time. He began to visualise big numbers and set about totalling them and since no one can remember thousands of numbers, he invented a fool proof method that would make it possible for even a kid to add them without making a mistake. His long years at the concentration camp was spent on his simplified system of maths and he devised shortcuts for everything from multiplication to algebra. The corruption and misery, the cries from clammy cells and torture chambers, the dirt and stench, the constant threat of death faded as Trachtenberg doggedly computed mathematical combinations - starting over and over again in order to make the system simpler. The hardships acted as a spur to his genius. Since paper was scarce he worked in his mind and made note of just the conclusions. Even today, one can use this method and work with the mind and put the answers on paper. During his seventh year at the concentration camp, one day in the year 1944, he learnt that he was to be executed but it did not bother him and he kept working frenetically and in order to formulate his theory in full Trachtenberg enlisted the role of a fellow prisoner.
Madame Trachtenberg had always been within the vicinity of the camp and on learning about the destiny of her beloved husband she used her jewellery and managed to bribe the officials which ensured that he was taken to another camp before his execution. The camp was at Leipzig and due to the war everything was in a state of chaos. He somehow managed to escape but was captured once again and sent to a labour camp at Trieste. The strong willed Trachtenberg escaped again and finally made to Switzerland along with his committed wife. While he slowly convalesced in Switzerland, he perfected the mathematical system which had kept him sane in spite of the torture at the hands of the Gestapo. Trachtenberg decided to teach the new system to children who were not doing well at school. His love for children made him teach them well and the shy cum withdrawn kids who were badly adjusted youngsters became successful instantly.
Jakow Trachtenberg founded the Mathematical Institute in the year 1950 and kids between the age of 7 and 18 formed part of the school. The evening classes were attended by hundreds of men and women who showed keen interest in the system. In fact all the students used to arrive early due to their new found love for a subject that they had once hated - mathematics. Actually mathematics is one of the poorest taught subjects stated a survey by the Princeton University and the Trachtenberg system addressed those issues that had been pointed out by the study. The Trachtenberg system is based on simple methods and there are no multiplication tables or division. In order to learn the system all that was required was the ability to count. The method is based on a series of keys which have to be taken by heart. On doing so and learning the system, arithmetic becomes very easy. One can achieve fabulous speed and accuracy by using this system which has a unique theory of checking by nines and elevens. Unlike the other methods which contain nothing more than sets of tricks the Trachtenberg system is a complete method. This system helps people with no aptitude for mathematics to achieve the results expected of a genius. Its known as the shorthand of mathematics.
The genius Trachtenberg thought that our difficulties arose due to the reason that we were taught maths using outdated methods. The system starts at the beginning and the student acquires the aptitude to do basic maths seamlessly thereby helping him or her to carry on without any fear. The feeling of accomplishment soon made them lose their unhappy traits. Trachtenberg taught the system to a presumably retarded child and it not only learned how to compute but also got its IQ improved in the process! The youngsters who became proficient with the aid of this system achieved a poise and assurance that changed their outlook which resulted in them moving ahead in their academics. The Swiss used to refer to this school as the "School for Genius". The Trachtenberg system made people to ultimately break the machine and once mastered, this system can make mathematics a pleasure for everyone concerned. There are several books which throw light on the system, however the book - "The Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics", translated and adapted by Ann Cutler and Rudolph McShane tops the list. The eight chapters can surely make one master the method. It sure would be interesting to use the Trachtenberg Speed System of Basic Mathematics and attain expertise in the subject.