A 13-YEAR-old maths genius has became Britain's youngest graduate,

gaining first class honours.

Ganesh Sittampalam studied for his BSc maths degree at Surrey

University just one day a week.

''I jumped up and down and yelled 'Yippee!' when I found I had a

first,'' said Ganesh, from Surbiton, London.

''I'm quite proud. I'm happy because I've done it, not because of my

age. I would have felt the same if I was 20. The course was pretty

difficult.''

Now the youngster is thinking of giving up maths to concentrate on his

GCSEs at school.

Ganesh finished his degree with six three-hour exams last month, aged

13 and four months, beating previous record-holder Ruth Lawrence by

seven months.

He is already the youngest person to attain an A grade at O Level,

aged eight, and the youngest to pass an A level, again with the top

grade, aged nine.

Unlike many other child prodigies, Ganesh has succeeded while

following a normal school career.

He spent four days a week with youngsters of his own age at King's

College Junior School, Wimbledon.

Extra studying for his degree was squeezed between homework,

kickabouts in the park, board games, and playing with computers.

Ganesh, who had to absorb a week's quota of work in each teaching day

at Surrey, was so gifted he was accelerated through the three-year

course.

He is now enjoying the long summer break -- ''I'm not going to do

anything with my brain'' -- before transferring to King's senior school

with a scholarship.

''I think it's time for a change from maths,'' he said. He liked the

idea of returning to university at 18 as an undergraduate to study

computing or electronics.

Professor Ron Shail, head of Mathematical and Computing Sciences,

hailed Ganesh's achievement.

''He must be as near to a genius as anybody I have ever met or

taught.''

His mother, Nela, said: ''Ganesh was a lazy baby who walked and talked

late.'' However, he was very numerate as a child, she said, which did

not surprise his parents: both have maths degrees.