<p>Sounds like a form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia">Synesthesia</a>, in particular it sounds like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_form">Number Form Synesthesia</a> mixed with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapheme%E2%80%93color_synesthesia">Grapheme-color Synesthesia</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A number form is a mental map of numbers, which automatically and involuntarily appears whenever someone who experiences number-forms thinks of numbers. Number forms were first documented and named by Francis Galton in "The Visions of Sane Persons". Later research has identified them as a type of synesthesia. In particular, it has been suggested that number-forms are a result of "cross-activation" between regions of the parietal lobe that are involved in numerical cognition and spatial cognition</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It doesn't seem exactly like what he does but it could be a form of it. It's hard to imagine just how it would be to perceive the world as a synesthesic person does.</p>

<p>It sounds like he's learned to apply his visual-spatial skills to "arrange" the number forms to aid his calculations.</p>

<p>Synesthesia is covered in detail in the book <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=fl6wX4xzb_kC&amp;printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Synesthesia: a union of the senses</a>, though I'm not aware of any specific case studies on individuals with this exact set of skills.</p>

<p>A term to describe people with Synestesia is <strong>Synesthesic</strong>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-26T21:29:44.717Z
Wow, that's fascinating. It's also really interesting that you state *It sounds like he's learned to apply his visual-spatial skills to "arrange" the number forms to aid his calculations* because this occurred to me after hearing him explain. I thought, *Hmm, this sounds like how a GPU can perform certain tasks much better than a CPU!*
Josh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-27T20:27:09.323Z
Reading Wikipedia further, it appears that [Richard Feynman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman) had Synesthesia. He may not have all the same skills as Jacob, but given that he was a Nobel prize winner, he was clearly a very intelligent man!
Josh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-26T21:27:21.233Z
2012-02-03T20:30:06.963Z
2012-02-03T20:30:06.963Z
Zelda
<p>I recently saw <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57359443-10391709/jake-hanging-out-with-a-teenage-einstein/" rel="noreferrer">an episode of 60 Minutes about Jacob Barnett</a>, a 13 year old boy who is currently attending advanced physics classes at a local university and was portrayed by the show as being a child prodigy/genius. In the interview, he demonstrates how he's able to perform mathematical transformations in his head by visualizing the numbers as colored shapes. As he explains in the linked clip:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This is <code>2 * 27</code>:
  <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ylIEy.png" alt="This is 2x27"></p>
</blockquote>

<p>He visualizes multiplying 2 by 27 as a series of colored triangles.</p>

<p>Is this a known phenomenon, and if so, does it have a name? Do other individuals visualize mathematics like this? Or is this just a 12-year old kid... embellishing (to be polite) his thought process?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-17T07:27:16.580Z
Arent they all generally just called Savants?
lightsong
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-17T11:41:54.133Z
@abhiii5459 not really. "Savant" would be a good description of Jacob Barnett, but I was wondering if other individuals visualize mathematics like he described. They don't have to be savants. Also, the term "savant" isn't specific to visualizing numbers.
Josh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-27T00:20:18.720Z
As background context, there is a more general literature on the important role of visualisation in learning mathematics.
A [Google Scholar search for "visualisation in learning mathematics"](http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&q=visualisation+in+mathematics+learning&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=&as_vis=0) yields  many interesting articles including [this](http://cimm.ucr.ac.cr/ojs/index.php/eudoxus/article/viewFile/154/152)
and [this](http://www.kaputcenter.umassd.edu/downloads/symcog/bib/pmeVisualizationFinalAPA.pdf).
Jeromy Anglim
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-27T16:11:53.103Z
I can "see" some numbers as colors.. though It looks like the correct term is synesthesia, I've never heard of it..
user1135588
<terminology><intelligence><problem-solving><mathematical-ability>
Is there a term for individuals who can "visualize" numbers and advanced mathematics?
Josh
# Is there a term for individuals who can "visualize" numbers and advanced mathematics?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-26)

I recently saw [an episode of 60 Minutes about Jacob Barnett](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57359443-10391709/jake-hanging-out-with-a-teenage-einstein/), a 13 year old boy who is currently attending advanced physics classes at a local university and was portrayed by the show as being a child prodigy/genius. In the interview, he demonstrates how he's able to perform mathematical transformations in his head by visualizing the numbers as colored shapes. As he explains in the linked clip:

> This is `2 * 27`:
> ![This is 2x27](https://i.sstatic.net/ylIEy.png)

He visualizes multiplying 2 by 27 as a series of colored triangles.

Is this a known phenomenon, and if so, does it have a name? Do other individuals visualize mathematics like this? Or is this just a 12-year old kid... embellishing (to be polite) his thought process?

**Tags:** terminology, intelligence, problem-solving, mathematical-ability

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: As background context, there is a more general literature on the important role of visualisation in learning mathematics. A [Google Scholar search for "visualisation in learning mathematics"](http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&q=visualisation+in+mathematics+learning&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=&as_vis=0) yields  many interesting articles including [this](http://cimm.ucr.ac.cr/ojs/index.php/eudoxus/article/viewFile/154/152) and [this](http://www.kaputcenter.umassd.edu/downloads/symcog/bib/pmeVisualizationFinalAPA.pdf).  
> **username_3**: I can "see" some numbers as colors.. though It looks like the correct term is synesthesia, I've never heard of it..  
> **username_1**: Arent they all generally just called Savants?  
> **username_0**: @abhiii5459 not really. "Savant" would be a good description of Jacob Barnett, but I was wondering if other individuals visualize mathematics like he described. They don't have to be savants. Also, the term "savant" isn't specific to visualizing numbers.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-01-26. Score: 21 | Accepted answer

Sounds like a form of [Synesthesia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia), in particular it sounds like [Number Form Synesthesia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_form) mixed with [Grapheme-color Synesthesia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapheme%E2%80%93color_synesthesia):

> A number form is a mental map of numbers, which automatically and involuntarily appears whenever someone who experiences number-forms thinks of numbers. Number forms were first documented and named by Francis Galton in "The Visions of Sane Persons". Later research has identified them as a type of synesthesia. In particular, it has been suggested that number-forms are a result of "cross-activation" between regions of the parietal lobe that are involved in numerical cognition and spatial cognition

It doesn't seem exactly like what he does but it could be a form of it. It's hard to imagine just how it would be to perceive the world as a synesthesic person does.

It sounds like he's learned to apply his visual-spatial skills to "arrange" the number forms to aid his calculations.

Synesthesia is covered in detail in the book [Synesthesia: a union of the senses](http://books.google.com/books?id=fl6wX4xzb_kC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false), though I'm not aware of any specific case studies on individuals with this exact set of skills.

A term to describe people with Synestesia is **Synesthesic**.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Wow, that's fascinating. It's also really interesting that you state *It sounds like he's learned to apply his visual-spatial skills to "arrange" the number forms to aid his calculations* because this occurred to me after hearing him explain. I thought, *Hmm, this sounds like how a GPU can perform certain tasks much better than a CPU!*  
> **username_0**: Reading Wikipedia further, it appears that [Richard Feynman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman) had Synesthesia. He may not have all the same skills as Jacob, but given that he was a Nobel prize winner, he was clearly a very intelligent man!  

---

