Memorizing the tables can function with pattern recognition. Ten, eleven, and twelve produce three-digit values on the table. Perhaps there is a sheet music comparison for a composer like the memorized log tables of Euler. The gifted/nurtured with an insane recall can greatly benefit from rote learning, consider rote verb conjugation language learning brute forced when immersed. Balancing human epiphany potential versus LLM hallucination interpretations?

Yeah, since the 90's everyone had a calculator in elementary school even in eastern Europe. There are a lot of "this or that is important for brain development" claims in many fields, which are clearly pseudo scientific. It is interesting how Homer's Iliad uses the numbers. You can never see the age of the characters in years, and all numbers they used were not meant literally. When they say "50 soldiers", that means something like "a lot of soldiers". So they mostly used some of the numbers from 1 to 50 as common phrases.

I'm going to assume neither of these guys has taught a child how to multiply. It can be easier to start off with a rote system and then use that to point out other relationships afterwards.

Because it's terribly useful to be able to do this in one's head. What is TRULY inlets is to understand why the answer is the answer.

You must learn hexidecimal multiplication!!