Digital root, also known as the repeated digital sum, is a mathematical concept that involves reducing a number to a single-digit value by summing its digits. This process is repeated until a single-digit number is obtained, which is known as the digital root of the original number.
The concept of digital root can be traced back to ancient times. It has been used in various cultures and civilizations, including ancient India and China. In India, it is known as "casting out nines," while in China, it is referred to as "casting out elevens." The digital root has also been studied by mathematicians such as Pythagoras and Fibonacci.
Digital root is a concept that can be introduced at the elementary school level, typically around grades 4 or 5. It helps students develop their number sense and understanding of the properties of numbers.
Digital root involves several knowledge points, including:
To find the digital root of a number, follow these steps:
For example, let's find the digital root of the number 456:
Therefore, the digital root of 456 is 6.
There are no specific types of digital root. The concept remains the same regardless of the number or its properties.
Digital root exhibits several interesting properties:
To find or calculate the digital root of a number, follow the step-by-step process mentioned earlier. Add the digits of the number until a single-digit number is obtained.
The digital root of a number can be expressed using the modulo operation. Let's denote the digital root of a number n as dr(n). The formula for calculating the digital root is:
dr(n) = (n - 1) % 9 + 1
To apply the digital root formula, substitute the given number into the equation and perform the calculations. The result will be the digital root of the number.
For example, let's find the digital root of 789 using the formula:
dr(789) = (789 - 1) % 9 + 1 = 788 % 9 + 1 = 5 + 1 = 6
Therefore, the digital root of 789 is 6.
There is no specific symbol or abbreviation for digital root. It is commonly denoted as "dr(n)" or simply referred to as the digital root of a number.
The main method for finding the digital root is by repeatedly summing the digits of a number until a single-digit number is obtained. However, the formula mentioned earlier provides a more efficient way to calculate the digital root.
Example 1: Find the digital root of 12345. Solution: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15 1 + 5 = 6 The digital root of 12345 is 6.
Example 2: Find the digital root of 987654321. Solution: 9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 45 4 + 5 = 9 The digital root of 987654321 is 9.
Example 3: Find the digital root of 111111. Solution: 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 6 The digital root of 111111 is 6.
Question: What is the digital root of zero? Answer: The digital root of zero is zero itself.