ext_155434 ([identity profile] chhotii.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] chhotii 2013-02-07 06:42 pm (UTC)

but is there a way to test for memorization?

Probably not. Where do you draw the line between memorization and a really fast algorithm? For example, my boss, who is no spring chicken and a math wiz and the P.I. of his own lab, claims that (based on self-introspection) he doesn't actually have 6+8 memorized. When he sees 6+8, his brain does:
6+8
=4+2+8
=4+10
=14

I do this too. So I've been trying to teach Sophia to manipulate addition problems using "ten buddies" when she's stuck. But I don't really believe that my boss really needs to do this. I think that some of us just have a knee-jerk need to manipulate numbers. But how could you ever tell for sure?

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