By: Steven Kowalski

Kowalski Box Method (KBM) vs. Regular Method

A preview

How this method was envisioned

Trick to multiplying AB*11

Digits
Normal Digit Notation Comma Notation

Kowalski Box Method

2-digit by 1-digit 2-digit by 2-digit 3-digit by 2-digit

General formula: n-digit by m-digit

142

x17 1294 +420 714

42 x17 4,3|0,1|4 7 1 4

More examples toward the end

 Let

AB be a 2-digit number such as 23 23 1 1 x11 2 5 3 (no need to write 2a 2a 2b 2a and 2b) 2 + 3 the 1 if necessary.

Carry

 Fancy

trick! I know, right? Could we do this with other numbers besides 2-digit numbers multiplied by 11? How would you do it given any two Whole numbers?

 The

Arabic Numerals are the figures {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}, each with a numerical value
These are the most common numerals used to

construct numbers.
Each

number is composed of digits, numbers with a certain place value.

ones-place, tens-place, hundreds-place, etc.

 Let

A, B, C, D, E be any Arabic numerals and let ABCDE be the numeral string. Then, ABCDE = A*104 + B*103 + C*102 + D*101 + E*100
Ex: A=1, B=5, C=3, D=4, E=8. Then ABCDE =

15348 ABCDE = 1*10000 + 5*1000 + 3*100 + 4*10 + 8*1 ABCDE = 1*104 + 5*103 + 3*102 + 4*101 + 8*100

 ABCDE
Tenthousands place

3
Hundreds place

8
Tens place Ones place

Thousands place

Let

X be a number with n place values, each of which contains a numeral X = Xn Xn-1 X3 X2 X1

10n-1s place 10n-2s place 102s place 101s place 100s place

Suppose we want to write a number with ANY number in the place values (not just the numerals). Then you use a comma to separate each place value. So, given ABCDE = 15348, it can be expressed as follows:

= 1,5,3,4,8 = 1*104 + 5*103 + 3*102 + 4*101 + 8*100 = 15,3,4,8 = 15*103 + 3*102 + 4*101 + 8*100 = 1,5,0,34,8 = 1*104 + 5*103 + 0*102 + 34*101 + 8*100 = 1,4,13,0,48 = 1*104 + 4*103 + 13*102 + 0*101 + 48*100 = 153,1,38 = 153*102 + 1*101 + 38*100 (Diagram on next page)

So, in using comma notation to write a number, we see that in between each comma can be ANY non-negative integer (or Whole number).

 15348
[104s] Tenthousands place

1 , 4 , 13 , 0 , 48
[103s] Thousands place [102s] Hundreds place [101s] Tens place [100s] Ones place

15348

153 , 1 , 38
Tens place Ones place

Hundreds place

 In

general, where X{1,2,3,,n-1,n} are nonnegative integers, if X is written in comma notation as: X = Xn, Xn-1,, X3, X2, X1 Then X = Xn*10n-1+Xn-1*10n-2++X2*101+X1*100
And

this can be expressed by:

But

there has to be an easier way to calculate it!!!!!!!!

 1.

The Box Method: Given a number in comma notation, such as X = 12,315,84 , Draw a line before the ones-place digit for each place in the comma notation: 12, 315, and 84

1|2,31|5,8|4

2.

Add the numbers in each box (from right to left), carrying remainders to the next compartment.

1|2,31|5,8|4 1|2+31|5+8|4 (commas mean plus) 1+3|3+1 | 3 |4 (added right to left, carrying remainders) 4 4 3 4 (added right to left, no remainders to carry)

More Condensed

1+3|2,31+1|5,8|4 4 4 3

4 (added right to left carrying each remainder, while dropping the ones place)

 This

method is useful especially when multiplying 3-digit numbers by 3-digit numbers or less. The multiplication can be done from right to left or from left to right. It also takes up less space on paper.

Let AB and C be whole numbers: AB*C = (10A*C+1B)*(1C) = 10A*C+1B*C = A*C,B*C

AB xC A*C,B*C 25 x6 . 1|2,3|0 1 5 0

Let AB and CD be whole numbers: AB*CD= (10A+1B)*(10C+1D) =100A*C+10A*D+10B*C+ 1B*D =100(A*C)+10(A*D+B*C) +1(B*D) AB xCD A*C,A*D+B*C,B*D

25 x61 . 1|2,3|2,|5 1 5 2 5 Or 25 x 61 . 1|2,3|0,|5 | |2 | . 1 5 2 5

Let ABC and DE be ABC whole numbers: x DE A*D,A*E+B*D,B*E+C*D,C*E (100A+10B+1C) *(10D+1E) 514 =1000A*D+100A*E+1 x42 . 00B*D+10B*E+10C* 2|0,1|4,1|8,|8 . D+1C*E 2 1 5 8 8 =1000A*D+100(A*E+ B*D)+10(B*E+C*D) +1C*E

Let X = Xn*10n-1+Xn-1*10n-2++X2*101+X1*100 and Y = Yp*10p-1+Yp-1*10p-2++Y2*101+Y1*100 where np Then But Lets make this one summation:

Did it backwards but dont want to rewrite it Sorry

 Ill

get back to it tomorrow (promise) because Im too tired to keep writing.