Jacob is an exceptional prodigy. He apparently sees certain math problems and their solutions as geometric shapes, a sort of synesthesia similar to Daniel Tammet for whom each number had a unique shape and color. Jacob also proves that his memory is exceptional; even months after being told to memorize lists he can still repeat them backwards and forwards.
I recommend watching his TED talk, since the media interviews tend to side-show-freak him:
http://tedxteen.com/talks/tedxteen-2012/111-jacob-barnett-forget-what-you-know
