Easy as pi for Hitchin schoolboy, 8, who will recite mathematic figure

One of Max's drawings, which shows his love of numbers (Image: Archant)

While many eight year olds are busy learning their times tables or simple fractions, Max Emson is engrossed in learning about pi – or ?.

Later this month, the Whitehill Junior School pupil will read out more than 300 decimal digits of the number, which is often rounded up to just 3.142.

The youngster, who is autistic, has been learning a bit of the figure – made up of around 10 trillion decimal numbers – each night in preparation.

Mum Helena Hon, who lives in Little Wymondley with Max, said: “He is very good with his numbers and always has something on the go.

“At the moment, he’s interested in pi, and I discovered he has got a really good memory, so thought this would be a good way to raise money for charity.”

Max, who has so far memorised 330 decimal places in about a month, is raising money for the Hitchin school’s charity of the year, Letchworth GC-based Garden House Hospice.

He will take on his challenge at a school assembly, watched by fellow students.

“We set a target of 200 so he has already gone well over that,” said Ms Hon.

“He’s been learning bits a day – some days it will be just two more digits, but there have been times when it has been 50.”

On the reaction from people when they hear about his challenge, she added: “People say he’s amazing – they thought it was amazing when he did 100.”