06. What About Memorizing Long Numbers?

Memorizing Long Numbers is as easy as One, Two, and Three.

Did you fail Math because you forgot to memorize the consonant pi? Did you ever cause a long line at the “New Accounts” lane looking for your Social Security Number?  If you think that your memory needs major work, don’t lose hope.  Just remember these three ways you can use to memorize long numbers.

One: Major System

The first and most common way to memorize long numbers is called the Major System.   The system works by memorizing words and phrases instead of the numbers themselves. As such, words and phrases are easier to remember and recalled. 

The words or phrases are formed by combining vowels and consonants that stand-in for each digit in the number series.  Each number, from 0 – 10 is assigned a consonant. It is not an exact letter-to-number correspondence but more of letter-to-consonant sound correspondence (phonetic).  Below is the mapping:

0 is substituted with “s, z”

1 is substituted with “d, t or th”

2 is substituted with “n, ing”

3 is substituted with “m”

4 is substituted with “r”

5 is substituted with “l”

6 is substituted with “j, sh, ch, zh”

7 is substituted with “k, hard g”

8 is substituted with “f, v”

9 is substituted with “b, p”

After substituting each number with the consonant, fill in between with vowels to create a familiar word or phrase that makes sense and thus can be easily remembered. 

For example, in remembering when the Gettysburg Address was delivered (11-19-1863), substitute the numbers with consonants as suggested by the Major System:

1 is substituted with “t” or “th”, so 11 is substituted the word “that”

9 is substituted with “b”, so 19 is “t” & “p” or form the word “top”

8 is substitued with “v”, 6 with “g” and 3 with “m”, so 1863 is “t”, “v”, “g” & “m” or form the phrase “tv gem”

So, to remember the date, just remember the phrase “That top TV gem” and recall 11-19-1863.

Now practice using your Social Security Number and create words and phrases that are significant to you, ones that you can easily recall, the next time you fill up that form.

Such a system is also very useful for memorizing phone numbers or zip codes.  Just create word sequences that are relevant to the area being remembered.

Two: Edwards System

Not entirely different from the Major System, the Edwards system also substitutes digits with words, but more with famous people, who are easier to recall.  Instead of single digits, the Edwards system uses double digits for association with people’s initials or famous characters. 

To use the system, map the numbers 00 through 99. Correlate famous characters or initials to each pair like associate 07 for James Bond (007), 08 for Kobe Bryant (8), 23 for Michael Jordan, 33 for Larry Bird. If you are lost for famous people associated with numbers, use the Major system to come up with initials for the number pair, like GB for 79, so remember George Bush; SD (Saddam) for 01; SN (Hussein) for 02. 

After mapping, break the number series to be remembered into pairs and memorize a series of famous characters or make them interact for a lasting and entertaining memorization.

Three: Grouping System

For mathematical consonants like pi and the Euler’s consonants (e), using the Major system or Edwards’s system may not work.  The word and phrase combination for the number series may not make perfect sense, thus maybe difficult to remember.  Instead, some Mathematicians have devised a way to group the numbers into shorter series and to associate them with whatever can help remember the sequence. 

For example, first 16 digits of Euler’s consonant are 2.718281828459045. By using the Major System, one can come up with a phrase for it such as "NeGaTiVe iNnoVaTiVe uNFuRL BiZaRreLy ".  The capitalized letters would represent consonants substituted for the digits, as per the number system, but the whole phrase may not make such perfect sense.

So, for some Mathematicians, they have devised a way of grouping the numbers together this way:

 2.7: the standard approximation of e

1828: a leap year or the year when President Andrew Jackson won the elections

1828: repeat of the year

45-90-45: cut a square in half to get a triangle with these angles

Now ace that Math test, or go through lines in a breeze by memorizing long numbers easily.  Who knows, you may just predict the next Lotto series jackpot!