Invention of square root: Minas Gerais student Júlia Pimentel, aged 11, has method published in scientific magazine
An 11-year-old student from Minas Gerais, Júlia Pimentel, single-handedly developed a new way of calculating the square root, using only addition and multiplication operations. The young researcher’s methodology was recognized and published in one of the main scientific mathematics magazines in Brazil. What started as a simple idea in the classroom culminated in publication in a specialized journal.
The method designed by Júlia Pimentel Ferreira allows you to easily obtain the result of square roots, solving a challenge that often confuses students of all ages globally. The girl, originally from Minas Gerais, expressed her pride at having found this solution in a way that she herself understood. Colleagues, like Lara Barros, and her math teacher, Frederico Ferreira, known as Fred, were impressed. It was Fred himself who adapted the idea into a formula format and sent it to a scientific journal. Experts from the Brazilian Mathematics Society already predict that the discovery could boost new research.
Innovation by student from Minas Gerais transforms square root calculation
Júlia Pimentel Ferreira, an 11-year-old student from Minas Gerais, created an unprecedented and agile approach to determining the square root. This type of calculation often presents an obstacle for students and adults around the world. Using only multiplication and addition, she paved a particular path to obtain the desired answer.
According to Júlia, mathematics at school was previously a set of rules to be followed. However, she realized that it was possible to formulate new rules based on existing ones, adapting them to her own understanding. The young woman said she felt very happy with her achievement, stating:
“I’m proud that I thought of it and that Fred listened to me.”
Details about how Julia’s method works for the square root
The great advantage of Júlia’s system lies in its simplicity, eliminating the need for complex operations and making the process quick and easy. To illustrate, when calculating the square root of 144, the first step is to multiply 10 by 10, approximating the value with 100.
Then, the number 10 (used in the initial multiplication), the next sequential number (11) and the previous result (100) are added, totaling 121. Finally, 121, 11 and 12 are added, reaching 144. Thus, the square root of 144 is identified as the last number added in the sequence, that is, 12. All reasoning is built with additions and multiplications that are accessible to anyone.
Repercussion of the discovery at school and among educators
The first person to learn about Júlia’s innovation was her classmate, Lara Barros, who was surprised by the new approach to calculating the square root. Initially confused, Lara understood the logic after her friend’s explanation, recognizing what had happened:
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“I thought she was really brilliant.”
The institution’s mathematics professor, Frederico Ferreira, known as Fred, described the discovery as something extraordinary, something he had never witnessed among students or in teaching programs. For him, the student presented a completely new solution to the problem: “It was something completely different from the traditional and fantastic.”
Publication of the unprecedented formula in a scientific journal
Impressed by Júlia’s ability, Professor Fred didn’t just listen. Based on the young woman’s idea, he developed a more comprehensive formula and submitted it to one of the most respected scientific mathematics magazines in Brazil. In this way, a new official method for calculating the square root was established, all thanks to the 11-year-old girl’s contribution.
Gustavo Araújo, national coordinator of the Brazilian Mathematics Society, suggests that the formula has the potential to go beyond a simple calculation and could, in the future, stimulate more in-depth studies. According to Araújo, the method has the capacity to “trigger the study of a more advanced theory”, with possible progress not only for the area of mathematics, but for the entire scientific community, encouraging more creative approaches in education.
Júlia Pimentel, aged 11 and born in Minas Gerais, demonstrated that even concepts as established as the square root can be reinterpreted from a new perspective, using only basic operations such as addition and multiplication.
His intelligent perception, formalized as a formula by Professor Fred and published in one of the most important mathematics magazines in the country, won the admiration of colleagues, educators and the Brazilian Mathematics Society, which sees it as the starting point for future investigations.
This episode transcends creating a clever shortcut; it serves as a powerful reminder that multiple paths can lead to the same outcome. Furthermore, it highlights that the methods taught for decades in schools are not the only ones and that curiosity, at any stage of life, can be the catalyst to open new and valuable perspectives in learning.
