KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Anyone can be a mathematics genius by developing his or her own technique to solve mathematical problems, says mathematical genius Shakuntala Devi.

Such a technique could be developed by mere concentration, she said.

However, she said that there was no standard procedure for this, as everyone was unique.

"All they need is the power to concentrate to awaken this gift," said Shakuntala Devi, 69.

"I do not teach mathematics, only how one should concentrate," she said in an interview here yesterday, adding that she could turn mathematics haters to lovers.

Shakuntala Devi is currently on a world tour conducting seminars and workshops titled "Mathematics through mind dynamics," and Malaysia is her first stop.

"The human computer", as she has been dubbed, will also be travelling to Singapore, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand as part of the tour.

Shakuntala Devi, who was born in Bangalore, India, to a Brahmin family, has had a love for numbers from the time she was three years old. By five, she was an expert in complex mental arithmetic and was faster than computers.

She founded the Shakuntala Devi Educational Foundation Public Trust in Bangalore.

Her ability, which she described as a gift from God and gives her great satisfaction, has enabled her to make a living since she was three.

Shakuntala Devi, who is not married, is also proficient in Hindu Vedic astrology as it is connected with calculations.

"I write people's horoscopes based on their date of birth and guide them to better their lives," she said.