Math Is Fun Forum

P3aK

Member

Registered: 2009-06-03

Posts: 3

Need help memorizing 6 sets of numbers. (Mnemonics)

EDIT: I just realized this might not be the right place for this post. I just read the Mnemonics post and went ahead. Sorry if I made a mistake.

Hi!
I'm in a situation where I have about two weeks to learn 6 different sets of between 27 to 30 numbers, always ranging from 1-3 with two or possibly three exceptions.

Looking something like this:
1st set (example):
211121313311221313311321123211

2nd set (example):
121122313321333212131121121212

Where as the exceptions looks something like this (example):
121123133213332121,50,130,100,90,1121121212 (= one singel digit changes to 4 larger numbers, in this example: 50,130,100,90)

I have no clue how to make this. I just googled "remember numbers" today and now I have read a few pages about mnemonics. But my problem here is that the range of numbers are low and the sets are quite long. So straight alphabetic conversion and making stories doesn't really work here as I only get A, B and C to work with.

So now my thought was to make, as close as possible to, an understandable word choosing between these letters below.
There is quite a few places where there is a repetition of the same number. So using ONE letter to represent more of the same number is very useful to shorten the ˝word˝ , such as: ˝m˝ (111) or ˝n˝ (11). But how to make this for ˝22˝, ˝222˝, ˝33˝, ˝333˝?

1 = i,l,t (obvious)
11 = n,h,ll,tt (it has two legs hitting the line)
111 = m (it has three legs hitting the line)
2 = s,z (quite obvious)
22 = ss,? (Better suggestion?)
222 = ? (Help, what to do here?!)
3 = E (obvious)
33 = ? (Help, what to do here?!)
333 = ? (Help, what to do here?!)

So my thought was that now I only have to memorize 6 ˝words˝ or ˝sentences˝. Is this a good idea? It's so frustrating, I don't know how to think.
Could someone PLEASE! give me a few pointers so I have something to work with?

Thank you very much!

Last edited by P3aK (2009-06-03 23:45:15)

mathsyperson

Moderator

Registered: 2005-06-22

Posts: 4,900

Re: Need help memorizing 6 sets of numbers. (Mnemonics)

I have no clue how to make this. I just googled "remember numbers" today and now I have read a few pages about mnemonics. But my problem here is that the range of numbers are low and the sets are quite long. So straight alphabetic conversion and making stories doesn't really work here as I only get A, B and C to work with.

I'd say this is the best way of doing it, but associating each number with a set of letters rather than just one (like on a mobile phone).

So, for example,
1 -> A-G
2 -> H-P
3 -> Q-Z

Then you look through your numbers and try to find words or phrases that match up.

The start of your first number is:
2111213133112

An example of something that would fit that is TEACHER ATTACK.

Not sure how you'd fit the occasional bigger number into that system though.

---

Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

P3aK

Member

Registered: 2009-06-03

Posts: 3

Re: Need help memorizing 6 sets of numbers. (Mnemonics)

Thank you for replying.

The occasional numbers aren't a big problem. They are always 50,90,100,130 and I can figure out those questions and actually answer them my self. So we can just ignore them.

Perhaps I should tell why I need this.
I'm gonna do the theory test for motorcycle license. But get this.. I'm Swedish but now live in another non English speaking country. I do no yet understand the language and they can't let me do the test in English. And the theory books are only available in native language also. So basically I'm completely F***'ed.

But somehow someone managed to slip me the six official "classified" tests they choose from with the answers already filled out. Now this doesn't help me that much, as I can't possibly learn what it says and there isn't enough pictures to latch onto for remembering the answers.

So my only idea of doing it is by writing down the correct choice (three choice questions) and then learn the sets of numbers.

Here is now the real sets of numbers I need to memorize:

1213213211313231311223111

233232113211223222231311

1213123112221211222122131

2122221131,50,100,130,90,21121132122122 (exceptions are always the numbers 50,90,100,130 but in different order)

22133223313211212,50,130,100,90,1222212

2123231111231222121,60,22,100,50,130,90,322 (<-- sneaky little 60 in there)

If anyone can come up with ideas or suggestions for this I'd be very thankful!

Now cheating on such a serious thing as a theory test for a license is not something I want to really do. I would surely have preferred to actually study and know the answers. But what can I do?
I'll go with the excuse that I already passed it when I took the car license so I'm only HALF cheating... right?

P3aK

Member

Registered: 2009-06-03

Posts: 3

Re: Need help memorizing 6 sets of numbers. (Mnemonics)

Ok, I made it. I finally came up with a few sentences that worked for me and I could learn them all by heart. Surprising to see how effective this mnemonic technique really is to help remember things. The hard part was to make the words/sentences, but once that was out of the way I didn't have any troubles at all. Thank you for your help!

Problem solved