That’s sum achievement! Maths whiz is Britain’s youngest university student at 12
AGED just 12, maths genius Xavier Gordon-Brown is almost certainly the youngest university student in Britain.
Although he is still too young for Facebook and is only allowed a mobile phone for emergencies, he’s just embarked on a maths degree with the Open University.
He is already studying weighty and complex concepts such as abstract structures, vector calculus and Newtonian mechanics in his spare time – when he’s not either at school, practising his musical instruments or playing football.
Xavier, who celebrated his 12th birthday last month, knew his times tables before he was four and could do double- digit mental arithmetic before starting school.
He achieved an A* in his maths GCSE when he was eight.
By the age of ten he had his A-level and could recite and memorise the first 2,000 digits of the mathematical ratio Pi.
He manages to fit his degree into the free hours between practising for grade eight on the clarinet, piano and violin, learning three languages and playing football with his friends every Sunday.
Despite his intellect, Xavier has to be accompanied to his lectures on Monday evenings by his mother because of his age.
But even in a room full of students twice his age he is still top of group, but it is good for him to the class. be among his intellectual
His mother Erica, of Haywards equals too. When he’s with Heath, West Sussex kids his own age he’s fine, but said: ‘ He absolutely loves it. when it comes to maths he It’s one of those things we needs to be with people on his thought about for a while, but intellectual level.’ seeing how much he enjoys it Mrs Gordon-Brown added: has made it all worthwhile. ‘He’s at school full time and
‘People make a lot out of then goes to Open University keeping children in their age lectures in East Grinstead two to three times a month. When he goes to his lectures he has to have an adult with him because of his age.
‘When I go I absolutely don’t understand a word of what’s going on.
‘But he’s not falling behind. If anything he’s top of the class. And everyone gets on with him really well.’