Sir, – I left primary school 63 years ago, and Prof Mike Scott's letter (January 18th) stirred up conflicting emotions of pride and bewilderment. In those distant days, the basics of mathematics were drummed into us from the very first day we entered school – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
We had to memorise our “tables”, encouraged from time to time by applications of the ever-present stick, so much so that they have remained in my skull to this day. I did the “long division” (1081 divided by 23) in my head, and came up with 47, which I am almost certain comes within an ass’s roar of the right answer. Admittedly it took more than half a minute to do it, but it created a nice warm glow within.
Do I qualify for admission to Prof Scott’s cryptography lectures? – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL HG MAYES,
Cork.