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Lewis Carroll's formula for calendar calculating

H H Spitz

    American Journal of Mental Retardation : AJMR
    |March 1, 1994
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Individuals with intellectual disabilities, known as savants, can quickly determine the day of the week for any date. Complex calculation formulas, like Lewis Carroll's, do not explain this remarkable calendrical skill.

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    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Science
    • Psychology
    • Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Individuals with intellectual disabilities sometimes exhibit extraordinary cognitive abilities, such as rapid day-of-the-week calculation for any given date.
    • This phenomenon, often termed 'savant syndrome,' has been documented across various historical periods and cultures.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying the savant skill of rapid date-to-day-of-the-week calculation.
    • To critically evaluate existing explanatory models, including mathematical formulas, in light of savant abilities.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of scholarly literature on savant syndrome and calendrical calculation.
    • Analysis of Lewis Carroll's historical method for day-of-the-week determination.
    • Comparative assessment of formulaic complexity versus observed savant performance.

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    Main Results:

    • Existing scholarly papers reference various calculation formulas but often omit early methods like Lewis Carroll's.
    • Mathematical formulas, including Carroll's, are generally too complex for individuals with intellectual disabilities to self-teach.
    • The complexity of known formulas does not adequately explain the savants' rapid and accurate performance.

    Conclusions:

    • The remarkable calendrical calculation abilities of savants cannot be fully explained by known complex mathematical formulas.
    • Alternative hypotheses beyond simple algorithmic computation are necessary to account for this extraordinary cognitive skill.
    • Further research is needed to understand the underlying cognitive and neurological basis of savant abilities.