Willem Klein, also known as Wim Klein or under his stage names Pascal and Willy Wortel, was a Dutch mathematician of Jewish ancestry, famous for being able to carry out very complicated calculations in his head very fast. On 27 August 1976, he calculated the 73rd root of a 500-digit number in 2 minutes and 43 seconds. This feat was recorded by the Guinness Book of Records.
Background
Wim Klein was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 4 December 1912 to Henry Klein, GP, and Emma Cohen. Klein had a rough childhood because his father wanted him to become a Doctor as his father was, even though he was quite opposed to the idea. In addition to this pressure, his mother also committed suicide in 1929. In 1932, when Klein finished High School, despite wanting badly to pursue his love of mathematics, he gave in to his father's demands and enrolled at the University of Amsterdam for Medicine; he succeeded in getting his bachelor's degree in 1935. His father died in 1937, and though he passed the first part of his doctoral exam, he eventually gave up. It was around this time that he discovered his homosexuality. Both Klein and his older brother Leo were regularly examined by a neurologist in Amsterdam for their incredible computing capabilities. Stokvis labeled Wim as a "auditory calculator," and his brother Leo as a "visual calculator."
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →When the Germans invaded in May 1940, Klein began working in a Jewish hospital and continued with his doctoral studies in 1941. In 1942, though, he had to hide; his brother was captured and taken to the Sobibór extermination camp, where he died. After the war, Klein returned to his doctoral studies, but he also worked in circuses in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, performing fast calculations as an act, often under the stage name 'Pascal'. He lived a fairly nomadic lifestyle and performed in such shows until 1952.
In 1952, Klein was hired by the Mathematisch Centrum English: Mathematical Center in Amsterdam as a scientific calculator. In 1954, the International Congress of Mathematicians was held in Amsterdam, so he attended. This inspired him to do shows again, so he went back to his nomadic lifestyle and performed internationally again for a few years until he was hired by CERN in 1958, but as computers became more powerful in the 1960s and physicists began programming more, Klein was more often used as a mascot for CERN who would do calculations for visitors, which he found disheartening.
Later years and death
In 1975, the commemoration of the 700th anniversary of Amsterdam made him feel homesick, and in 1976 he retired early from CERN. He continued to do calculations for show, this time with the stage name "Willy Wortel", although this time he started to become more interested in breaking records, trying hard to improve his time and beat new records. This continued until 1 August 1986, when Klein's housekeeper found him dead in his home in Amsterdam, brutally murdered with a knife. Although a young man was arrested, there was no evidence of his involvement in the case and he was soon released. The murder remains unsolved.
Top questions
Who was Willem Klein?
Willem Klein, also known as Wim Klein and by the stage names Pascal and Willy Wortel, was a Dutch mental calculator famous for performing very complicated calculations in his head very fast. He was born in Amsterdam in 1912 and died there in 1986.
What was Willem Klein's world record?
On 27 August 1976, Klein calculated the 73rd root of a 500-digit number in 2 minutes and 43 seconds. The feat was recorded by the Guinness Book of Records. In his later years he became increasingly interested in breaking records and tried hard to improve his times.
What jobs did Willem Klein do as a human calculator?
After the war, Klein worked in circuses in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, performing fast calculations as an act under the stage name Pascal. In 1952 he was hired as a scientific calculator at the Mathematisch Centrum in Amsterdam, and in 1958, after performing internationally again, he was hired by CERN.
Why did Willem Klein leave CERN?
As computers became more powerful in the 1960s and physicists began programming more, Klein was often used as a mascot for CERN, performing calculations for visitors, which he found disheartening. The commemoration of Amsterdam's 700th anniversary in 1975 made him homesick, leading to his early retirement in 1976.
Why did Willem Klein study medicine instead of mathematics?
Klein loved mathematics, but his father, a general practitioner, wanted him to become a doctor. In 1932 he gave in and enrolled in medicine at the University of Amsterdam, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1935. He passed the first part of his doctoral exam but eventually gave up.
How did Willem Klein describe numbers?
Neurologist Oliver Sacks quoted Klein to show how numerical savants understand their calculations intimately. Klein said numbers were friends to him, more or less, and greeted 62 squared with a hello, while for most people 3,844 is just a three, an eight and two fours. The quote is popular among writers on human calculators.
How did Willem Klein die?
On 1 August 1986, Klein's housekeeper found him dead in his Amsterdam home, killed in a knife attack. A young man was arrested, but no evidence linked him to the case and he was soon released. The murder remains unsolved.
