Difference between revisions of "Abacus"
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− | In this situation, we may also need to get a sort of genius tools to aid our insufficient analytical system. In this sense, these days we take it for granted that we can easily add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers. It was pretty hard to see people those who use the Abacus for some reason. Especially, we could not figure out any institution to become well-trained technicians those who have a spectacular performance given by whom. It seems like the most heyday on Abacus is around 1960~90 just right before being computerized. Why has the abacus being popular at that time? We are already getting sick of the answer of this: the efficiency in some level. | + | [[File:abacus3.jpg|300px|thumb|“A clerk in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, From “The Abacus Today”, Mathematics in School, 4(5), 1975:19]]In this situation, we may also need to get a sort of genius tools to aid our insufficient analytical system. In this sense, these days we take it for granted that we can easily add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers. It was pretty hard to see people those who use the Abacus for some reason. Especially, we could not figure out any institution to become well-trained technicians those who have a spectacular performance given by whom. It seems like the most heyday on Abacus is around 1960~90 just right before being computerized. Why has the abacus being popular at that time? We are already getting sick of the answer of this: the efficiency in some level. |
− | + | Even if the spread of abacus focuses upon Asian Cultures, it is totally not. According to Haga(1964:398) “At one time the abacus was used in American schools to teach addition and subtraction. It has much to recommend it; it is pretty much cheap, fast, efficient, and versatile.” Furthermore, “one school in California, the abacus was introduced in all second and third grade classes as part of a project to improve speed and accuracy in the handling of numbers.” (Haga, 1964:398) | |
As we could easily assume, technologies do not dwell on the Abacus to improve speed and accuracy in handling of numbers. It was just one of the tons of advanced calculations in analytical system. | As we could easily assume, technologies do not dwell on the Abacus to improve speed and accuracy in handling of numbers. It was just one of the tons of advanced calculations in analytical system. |
Revision as of 03:36, 29 November 2010
A historical sketch on the Abacus
As a historical point of view, human being has been evolved for some reasons. In these sense, all materials in our daily life are easily adapted by those who are good at applying to brand new technologies. In mathematics, there is no exception to follow undeniable rules. Before accepting these rules, we might have been able to calculate simple things - which are included adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing in a certain level - in our head. If not, we are still working on a certain level of simple calculation. Even though we could easily have done it in our own head, we certainly could not have done it as right way. For some reason, we tried to get a right answer with doing less working in progress.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. The abacus is at once one of the oldest, most enduring, and efficient products of the human mind. The Abacus has served mankind well, aiding him in commerce and invention. It is likely that the abacus was developed independently at different times in different civilizations; The Peruvian Indians, for instance, used a form of abacus for rapid calculation even before the arrival of the white man. The results of computation were recorded by knots tied in a cord.” (Haga, 1964:398) According to the Mathematical Association, we could get a brief historical archive on Abacus as below. “The principles of Abacus arithmetic were first developed in the Middle East over 5000 years ago by the Sumerian civilization. This civilization was probably the first to develop the subject of mathematics and their sexagesimal number system which is based on 60 is still with us in the way that we measure angles and time” (The Mathematical Association, 1981:2-3)
Even if the spread of abacus focuses upon Asian Cultures, it is totally not. According to Haga(1964:398) “At one time the abacus was used in American schools to teach addition and subtraction. It has much to recommend it; it is pretty much cheap, fast, efficient, and versatile.” Furthermore, “one school in California, the abacus was introduced in all second and third grade classes as part of a project to improve speed and accuracy in the handling of numbers.” (Haga, 1964:398)
As we could easily assume, technologies do not dwell on the Abacus to improve speed and accuracy in handling of numbers. It was just one of the tons of advanced calculations in analytical system.