How fast can you find the squares of numbers from 1 to 100? M Senthamilan can do it in under two minutes. This feat has helped the Class VII student of SRM Public School, Guduvanchery, achieve a Kalam's World Record. Solving the squares of the first 100 numbers in just 1 minute and 56 seconds, the 11-year-old became the second one in his family to hold a Kalam's World Record, which has been honouring and recognising youngsters with unique talents since 2018.

The idea to attempt the record came from his elder brother. "My brother had set a record of multiplying 100 two-digit and single-digit numbers in two minutes. This inspired me to try and create a record of my own," says Senthamilan. The student got to work and started memorising the square numbers, which his mother taught him when he decided to attempt the world record. "I took a month's time to write down all the squares and memorise them," he adds. Senthamilan attempted the record a while ago — July 26, to be exact — and it was validated in August.  

Senthamilan says that his love for Math has been developing since he was eight years old. Around the same time, he also started playing chess. "We enrolled him in chess because he liked Math so much, hoping that one will improve the other. We are trying to send him to state-level competitions," says Senthamilan's mother, Poongothai Mangal Ganesh. She has been helping him improve and hone his Math skills ever since she learnt about his interest.